We Weren't Trained For This
by recluse21
Summary: Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer exists, Maria Hill has moved on to the private sector working at Stark Industries. After a few short weeks on the job, Maria has settled into her new role and feels that she is adjusting nicely. All that seems to change when Steve Rogers makes an unexpected visit. In the MCU, takes place after CA: TWS. Developing Steve/Maria.
1. Chapter 1

Maria Hill is a very accomplished woman. Her high-ranking status during her time at S.H.I.E.L.D. is well documented. As second in command to Nick Fury she enjoyed a well-deserved reputation among S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Some of the words they used to describe her include firm, strict, straight-laced, no-nonsense, tough-minded, by the book, and serious. Maria would most likely agree with all of these words herself. When she entered a room the other agents would instantly straighten their backs in recognition of her presence. She carried herself with the demeanor of a strong authority figure that demanded respect from those around her. That's what it's always been about for Maria, respect.

Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer exists, Maria has moved on to the private sector working at Stark Industries. With S.H.I.E.L.D. gone, Stark Industries is getting into the business of privatizing global security with Maria being a big part of that.

In the few weeks that she has been there, Maria has already put her own stamp on the company. She took all the qualities and attributes that she embodied at S.H.I.E.L.D. and brought them with her to her new job. In fairness, it was what she knew best and she figured that if it worked at S.H.I.E.L.D. it can work here too. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. had more of a military like setting and Stark Industries is more of a traditional office environment, Maria decided to tone down the whole drill sergeant routine, but only a little. Now the security guards straighten their backs at attention when Maria walks by. Maria felt like a figure of authority again. Working in a more traditional office setting wasn't as bad as she thought it was going to be. Things seemed to be going well and she felt that she was adjusting nicely.

Maria now finds herself in her office on a Friday morning. Sitting at her desk she appears to be staring at her computer when in fact she is really lost in thought. She's thinking back to yesterday afternoon's meeting with her boss, Tony Stark. Stark casually mentioned that he will be keeping the Avengers Initiative alive by financially backing it himself. He also mentioned that Maria will be the liaison for the team and will monitor major threats that the Avengers will be needed for. He noted that because of her S.H.I.E.L.D. experience and familiarity with the team her involvement was a no-brainer. This wasn't a request, it was now part of her job. Maria didn't know how she felt about the new responsibility given to her.

Looking back, it was no secret that Maria was initially against the whole idea of the Avengers. She thought bringing together a group of people with superpowers was a mistake, a volatile mix ready to blow up in their faces. She thought Stark was arrogant and a loose cannon. Dr. Banner was a powder keg ready to explode at any moment. Thor was a powerful god from another realm. Could he really be trusted? Then there was Captain America, Steve Rogers.

Since being named the Avengers liaison, Maria couldn't help but think of her most recent time spent with Captain Rogers. Admittedly, Maria always thought he was different than the other Avengers. The first time she saw him was on the bridge of the helicarrier. She remembers how he casually entered the room looking around in quiet astonishment. At first glance she thought he was rather handsome, but other than that, he didn't look all that impressive to her. Of course he would go on to prove her wrong, as did all of the Avengers.

Maria kept thinking back to her most recent meeting with Captain Rogers. Hydra had taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. from the inside and Captain Rogers was on the run as a fugitive. He was captured along with Agent Romanov and Sam Wilson (AKA the Falcon) by Hydra's Strike team. Maria was able to help them escape and together they all worked together to take down HYDRA once and for all.

Before going into their final battle at the Triskelion, Captain Rogers addressed everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D over the PA system. He revealed Hydra's plans and that they had to be stopped. Maria was standing next to him at the time prepping for the battle ahead. As Steve gave his speech, Maria couldn't help but stop and look at him. She noticed the conviction in his words and the calm determination in his eyes. Captain Rogers had already more than earned Maria's respect. The power behind his speech had now just greatly increased her already swelling admiration for him as well. By the end of it, Maria, along with any other S.H.I.E.L.D. agent listening, would gladly follow him into battle without batting an eyelash.

Captain Rogers and Falcon went on to fight their way onto two Hydra helicarriers to modify their targeting systems. Captain Rogers was able to modify the third on his own at the last possible second, allowing Maria to seize control of each flying ship remotely to have them attack and destroy one another.

"Fire now," Maria remembers hearing him say through her earpiece.

He was still on the helicarrier 30,000 feet in the air. She could hear the strain in his voice. He was obviously injured. To what extent, she didn't know. Falcon wasn't able to fly him out of there. His wings were damaged and he was back on the ground.

"But Steve-"

"DO IT! DO IT NOW!" he shouted back. The volume of his command was deafening in her ear.

Maria briefly hesitated then activated the targeting systems to fire. _Captain's orders_, Maria thought to herself. The resulting sounds of explosions and gunfire could then be heard from outside.

Thankfully, Captain Rogers was later found unconscious along the shores of the Potomac River below. Wreckage and debris was scattered all around. How he made it there, no one was sure. Most notable of his many injuries were several gunshot wounds, a stab wound to the shoulder, and a fractured orbital bone from major blunt force trauma. He may be a super soldier, but he's not invincible. Later it would be revealed that most of Captain Rogers' injuries were the result of a confrontation he had with the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes.

He was taken to hospital for treatment and was unconscious for only a few days. Being a super soldier afforded him a much quicker healing process than any normal person. Maria visited him during the early stages of his recovery. Sam Wilson was by his side for the duration of his hospital stay but took a rare moment to step out at one point, leaving Maria alone with him. She recalled looking at his then battered and bruised face with a feeling of remorse.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." she remembers whispering as she stood over him at his bedside. "You almost didn't make it back."

A soldier getting wounded in battle was nothing new to Maria, but this felt different to her. She gently ran her fingers through his hair fixing a few out of place strands before finally resting her hand on his one uninjured cheek. Maria had to leave to deal with the aftermath of their take down of S.H.I.E.L.D. This included making her way over to Stark Industries as well. Unfortunately, she would not be able to be there when he finally wakes up. This fact bothered her most and she wasn't sure why. A long time ago Maria had gone from disliking the idea of working with the Avengers and Captain Rogers, to respecting him tremendously. At that moment in the hospital, she realized somewhere along the way her feelings for him had changed. This time to something more.

"You've given so much of yourself for so long to do what's right." Maria recalled whispering to him at that moment. "And this time you almost gave too much. Again."

Maria then gently kissed Steve on the cheek.

Once Sam returned to the room Maria left the hospital. That was the last time she ever saw Captain Rogers in person. She figured he probably wouldn't ever know she visited him.

Maria had always naively thought she would not see him again anytime soon. Now that she has been appointed liaison to the Avengers, Maria can't help but think about her hospital visit and all that they had been through in the days before. She began to realize that she may have feelings for Captain Rogers and for some reason that concerns her. She always believed that these were feelings that she would not have to revisit. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, when on a mission or in the field, Maria always taught herself to keep emotions out of it. Emotions can cloud your judgement. They can lead to distractions, and distractions lead to mistakes. And mistakes can often be fatal. _Love is for children,_ is a quote she remembers hearing Agent Romanov say once or twice before on the subject.

Maria has been sitting at her desk for nearly thirty minutes and has accomplished nothing. Thoughts and memories about her last meeting with Captain Rogers continue to replay in her mind. In fairness, her schedule has been open for large portions of the morning, which is a great change of pace considering the rest of her week was so busy. Also, Maria handed in her phone to IT at Tony's request for an 'upgrade' to some kind of new Stark tech. Since the phone had most of her daily working life in it, she elected to wait to get it back before doing anything.

Not knowing what to do with her free time, and tired of sitting in her office, Maria decided to go for a walk to clear her head. Thoughts of the Avengers and a certain Captain that leads them was still running rampant in her mind. She headed down the hall towards the reception front desk located next to Pepper Potts' office. At the front desk sat a young woman. She was in her early 20's, pretty with blond hair and glasses. She wore a headset used to take incoming calls. She was a temp that has been working as Pepper's personal assistant for just a few weeks. Despite only working there for a short time, Pepper spoke very highly of her. The nameplate on the desk in front of her read Bridget Jennings.

"Is Pepper in?" Maria asked looking past Bridget to Pepper's office door.

"She's currently on a call right now." Bridget replied looking at the schedule on the computer screen in front of her. "She'll be done any minute if you want to wait."

"Sure," Maria sighed. "I have so much free time right now I don't know what to do with myself."

Bridget nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you've been so busy lately. All your work here and the Congress hearings you just had to go through. You deserve a little time for yourself."

Since S.H.I.E.L.D. went down in flames the intelligence community wanted answers. Meetings with Congress were one of Maria's least favorite activities. It consisted of answering many various annoying questions. Just thinking about it made Maria shudder.

"Any word from IT on my phone?" Maria asked.

"Sorry, Maria." Bridget replied. "Haven't heard anything yet. It should be any time now."

Maria leaned over planting her elbow on the reception desk and rested her chin in her palm. Her fingers on her other hand began to wrap repeatedly on the counter top. A distracted look washed over Maria's face as she stared in the direction of Pepper's office door. Taking this all in, Bridget looked at Maria with a smirk.

"Long week, huh?" Bridget asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes. I'm just glad it's Friday."

"Any big plans for the weekend?"

Maria stopped wrapping her fingers on the counter. She realized that most employees don't engage in small talk with her, probably on account of her reputation. Nevertheless, Maria decided to play along.

Maria thought to herself briefly before finally answering. "No, not really."

Maria was still thinking about Captain Rogers and trying to figure out how stop.

"Nothing? Really?" Bridget continued. "No special someone in your life?" Bridget asked.

Maria shot a curious look at Bridget. _That had to be a coincidence_, Maria thought.

"We all know Maria doesn't have time for a boyfriend."

Bridget and Maria both turn to see Pepper walking out from her office upon hearing her response.

"Why are we talking about my social life?" Maria asked.

"I don't know," Pepper shrugged. "That was the first thing I heard when I opened my door."

"After the week you've had," Pepper continued, "I do think you need to unwind."

Pepper turned to Bridget who quickly nodded in agreement to her assessment.

"You could use a little romance in your life." Pepper continued.

"Nothing wrong with that," Bridget added.

Pepper and Bridget were both smiling and having a little too much fun on the subject.

"I don't have time for a social life." Maria countered. Pepper and Bridget were having none of it.

"Maybe you should make time for one," said Pepper.

"Loosen up a little." Bridget added while typing away on her computer.

"Were you always wound up this tight when you worked at S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Pepper asked.

"That must've been stressful." said Bridget.

Pepper turned to Bridget to carry on the discussion, "I bet Maria intimidates most men." Pepper was now fully facing Bridget continuing their conversation about Maria as if she wasn't even there. Maria stood there with a confused look on her face trying to figure out how they got to this point.

"Why are we talking about this?" Maria said, interrupting their conversation.

Pepper and Bridget both paused and looked towards Maria.

"I don't know...it is kind of fun." Pepper said.

"Plus, the idea of finding you a date is rather intriguing." said Pepper with an amused grin on her face.

"I thought we were working on privatizing global security here." Maria replied. "I didn't realize that Stark Industries now also specializes in match making." The rarely heard note of sarcasm in her voice only seemed to add to Pepper and Bridget's amusement.

During her time with S.H.I.E.L.D., Maria rarely had time for a relationship. She had been on more bad first dates than she would like to admit. Because of this, Maria always put her career first. As a result, her relationships often quickly fizzled so Maria put men at a distant second behind her work.

Maria tried to collect her thoughts. She wanted to talk to Pepper about her new Avengers 'situation'. Pepper continued talking about finding Maria a date. Unbeknownst to both of them, Bridget's gaze was locked straight ahead from where she was sitting at the reception desk to the elevators down the corridor ahead. A solitary figure had just arrived on their floor and was now walking towards them. Maria was trying to change the subject of the conversation with Pepper to no avail. Meanwhile, Bridget's eyes were transfixed on the figure headed towards her. He weaved through the foot traffic of employees walking in all directions. Bridget continued to focus on the man and couldn't look away.

Pepper continued her conversation with Maria. "Who would be perfect for you, Maria?" Pepper wondered aloud.

"Oh, I don't know..." Bridget said, still staring straight ahead. "Maybe someone tall, with blond hair, blue eyes, athletic body, an honest face with a strong jaw, grey shirt, blue jacket, khakis..."

Bridget continued speaking quietly to no one in particular, "...he looks like a model from a GAP commercial..."

"Wow, that's really specific..." Pepper said not realizing Bridget was describing the man approaching her. Maria's back was turned to the whole situation as it was unfolding.

Standing off to the side, Pepper and Maria both initially do not notice the man approach the desk. However, Bridget's gaze is now locked on her target. Her mouth is slightly open, eyes wide, with a look of frozen shock and awe on her face. Maria catches a glimpse of the man out of the corner of her eye which is all she needed to recognize him instantly. It's Captain America himself, Steve Rogers.

He appeared exactly as Bridget had described him. This probably explains why she had a tough time getting any words out.

"Hello. My name is Steve Rogers. I have an appointment to see Mr. Stark." he says casually to Bridget.

Bridget continued to stare at him. Only now her mouth changed to form a smile and her eyebrows were raised in disbelief. She had a frozen look of joy on her face. Words were still struggling to come out of her mouth.

Captain Rogers smiled politely and continued to wait for a response. Unfortunately, it appeared that one wasn't coming.

"I'm sorry, am I on the right floor?" he asked, still waiting for a response. "I'm pretty sure this is the floor he told me to go to."

Maria and Pepper were still standing off to the side, taking in the whole situation. Maria turned her back to the reception desk hoping to not be seen by Captain Rogers.

"What's he doing here?" Maria whispered to Pepper.

"I don't know..." Pepper whispered back. "Wow, I forgot how good looking he is in person."

No longer able to watch what was happening in front of her any longer, Pepper stepped in to Bridget's rescue.

"Hello, Captain Rogers."

"Ms. Potts." Steve said extending his hand to shake hers. "It's good to see you again."

"What brings you here, Captain?"

"I have a meeting with Mr. Stark."

"You do? I don't remember seeing anything on his sched-"

"I see it!" Bridget said, finally breaking from her trance and examining the calendar on her computer. "I see it right here. Mr. Stark added it to his schedule himself yesterday."

"I'll see if he's ready for you," Bridget said trying to compose herself. "Until then you can have a seat."

"Thank you," Steve said politely.

Bridget responded with a soft sigh and a beaming smile from ear to ear.

Steve turned to make his way towards the chairs to have a seat and immediately sees Maria. Her back is still somewhat turned away from him. She's trying to look away in an awkward attempt to not be noticed.

"Lieutenant Hill?"

"Captain Rogers." Maria answered. She turned to face him, still slightly shocked to see him. "What brings you here?"

He walks towards her with a smile. He seems happy to see a familiar face. "I'm here to see Stark. What are you doing here?"

"I work here. And it's just Maria now."

"Sorry, force of habit." Steve remarked. "Yes, I recall Stark telling me you work here now. I wasn't expecting to see you. I guess this is the first time I've run into you outside of a S.H.I.E.L.D. sanctioned operation."

"That's okay. I'm still getting used to it myself." Maria replied.

"I don't think I've ever seen you not wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform." he says.

Steve casually looks her over and smiles. "If you don't mind me saying...you look very pretty."

Caught off guard by the compliment Maria quickly glances down at herself. She is wearing a dark grey pantsuit and white blouse. She elected not to tie her hair back today, instead letting it hang down to her shoulders. At first, Maria doesn't think she looks all that great, but the look on Captain Rogers' face seems to prove otherwise. The shy, innocent smile on his face only makes his compliment come across as even more sincere and authentic.

"Oh...thank you, Captain Rogers." Maria answers softly with a mild look of surprise on her face.

"It's Steve." he replied. "If I have to call you Maria, you can call me Steve."

At this point Maria looks past Steve towards the reception desk. Behind him Maria notices Pepper and Bridget trying to look busy when they are obviously listening to everything Maria and Steve are saying. The compliment Steve pays to Maria immediately made Pepper and Bridget stop in their tracks and take notice.

Maria quickly tried to shift her focus back to Steve. "So...you're here to see Stark?"

"Yes," he said, finally breaking focus from Maria to a file folder he had under his arm.

"After our run-in with Hydra, Sam needs a new set of wings. Stark said he would take a look at the specs to see what he could do with it." Steve said, referring to the file folder now in his hand. The cover of the file read EXO-7 FALCON. "He also mentioned some 'Avengers' business that needs addressing as well, whatever that means."

"So..." Steve continued. "what's it like working for Stark?"

"It took some getting used to." Maria confessed. "It's different but I'm doing alright."

"How about you, Steve? How's civilian life treating you?"

"Well, Sam and I are still trying to track down Bucky. The trail has gone cold so we're trying to find new leads. As far as civilian life goes, it's a little strange. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone I have a lot more free time on my hands." Steve turned his head slightly, staring off into the distance. A look of contemplation was now on his face. "I spent my whole life wanting to serve, wanting to help people. Now, I'm not sure what to do with myself..."

Steve returned his attention to Maria. His look of recollection was now gone. A charming, yet shy smile appeared on his face. He seemed genuinely happy to see her. The way he focused on her made Maria feel like they were the only people in the room. After trailing off from what he was previously saying, Steve cleared his throat and continued.

"Can I ask you something, Maria?" Steve said softly as he took a step towards her closing the distance between them.

"Of course," Maria replied. Anticipating something important was about to be said, Maria slightly leaned in towards Steve.

"I'm not very good at this, and you probably get this all the time, and if the answer is no it's totally fine and I won't hold it against you..."

"What is it, Steve?" Maria asked, unsure of what Steve was trying to say.

Steve momentarily held his breath, like he was searching for the right words to say. Finally he quickly blurted out a response. "Would you like to go out for a drink sometime?"

Upon hearing this Maria just froze. That was not what she was expecting to hear. Both her eyes open slightly wider in quiet astonishment. Steve continued to look at Maria with that innocent, eager grin of his. His eyebrows rose slightly as he waited for a response that didn't appear to be coming anytime soon.

"...Do you eat? If you want, we can do that too." he added with a shy smirk in an attempt to bring some levity to the conversation.

Maria continued to stand there in stunned silence. She quickly looked over Steve's shoulder towards Pepper and Bridget. They heard everything and were now both frozen and staring back at her. Their expressions closely resembled Maria's.

Maria had still yet to respond. At this moment Steve lowered his head somewhat sheepishly towards the ground.

"If your answer is no it's okay. I understand." he finally said.

Maria looked back at Pepper and Bridget. This time Bridget just sat there with her mouth wide open. Pepper shrugged as if she was asking Maria what she was going to do.

Finally Maria spoke, or at least tried to, "Captain Rogers, I mean, Steve...I...um...well...ugh..."

No longer able to watch what was happening in front of her, Pepper approached them to cut the tension, "Excuse me, Captain Rogers?"

Steve and Maria both turned to face Pepper and Bridget. Maria had a look of relief on her face.

"Tony is ready to see you now. He's up in the penthouse. I can show you-"

"I can take him!" Bridget quickly said cutting Pepper off in mid-sentence.

"Could you just give me one moment, please?" Steve asked Bridget.

"Sure, whenever you're ready." Bridget replied, still totally infatuated with him.

Steve turned his attention back to Maria who has still yet to put together a complete sentence.

"Look, I'm sorry if I caught you off guard a moment ago. You don't have to answer right away. I'll just go up to my meeting with Stark, which shouldn't take too long, and I'll come back down here to see you before I leave. How does that sound?"

Maria hesitated, still lost in thought before answering, "That sounds...fine," Maria said, ending her response at a slightly higher pitch, as if it were more of a question than an answer. "My office is just down the hall. You can ask Bridget for me when you get back."

"Good. I will do that." Steve replied. "I'll be back shortly."

Steve turned to acknowledge Pepper before leaving. "Ms. Potts,"

"Captain Rogers," Pepper replied.

Finally, he turned towards Bridget, "Shall we?" he said motioning towards the elevators.

"Yes. Right this way," Bridget said as she got up out of her chair.

Maria and Pepper watched as Steve and Bridget walked to the elevators. The whole way there Bridget continued to look Steve up and down and then looked back at them mouthing the words _OH MY GOD!_ She continued to stare at him as they entered the elevator. The doors closed and they were gone.

Pepper immediately turned to Maria, "What just happened?"

"I don't know. I wasn't expecting that." Maria exclaimed. "That was the last thing I thought was going to happen."

"You're going to say yes, right?"

"...I don't know"

"What do you _mean_ you don't know?"

Pepper continued to stare at Maria with a baffled look on her face. Maria still had a look of shock and confusion on her face.

"Why have you been standing out here by the reception desk anyway?" Pepper asked.

"I'm waiting to get my phone back from IT and I was waiting to talk to you."

"About what?"

Somewhat frazzled, Maria let out a big sigh. "I don't remember anymore."

Pepper took Maria by the wrist and led her into her office.

"He's coming back down here eventually. Do you know what you're going to say when you see him?"

"...I don't know," Maria replied with a shrug.

"Really? Normally, this would be a very easy decision for most people."

Until recently, Maria was a highly ranked S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. In times of duress she would always fall back on her training. Chief among some of her stronger qualities was her decisiveness. At that moment it feels like all of that has abandoned her.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door of Pepper's office. It was Tim from IT with Maria's new phone. He peeked his head in through the partially open door. "Excuse me, is Maria here?"

"Hi, Tim. Come on in." Pepper said.

"I thought I heard your voice in here." Tim said as he walked towards Maria. "I went to your office but you weren't there."

Tim joined Stark Industries at roughly the same time as Maria. Like Maria, Tim also used to work at S.H.I.E.L.D. He was tall man in his mid twenties with a medium build and dark hair. He worked in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Tech division for just over a year and had crossed paths with Maria and several of the Avengers on occasion. This was something that he was very proud of.

Tim noticed the look of concern on Maria's face. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I'm sorry I took so long with your phone. I had to move over all your contacts, your calendars, text messages, and all other data from your old phone. Then I made a backup of everything. There was a lot of data on your phone-"

"No, it's not that." Pepper interjected. "Maria just got asked out on a date."

"Oh. Congratulations. Who's the lucky guy?" Tim asked.

"Captain Rogers," Maria replied, her voice straining as she said his name.

"...Captain America...asked you out on a date?" Tim asked with a mild look of disbelief on his face.

"Yes," Pepper added with a smile.

"When?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

Tim gasped with surprise turning towards Maria, "That's great! I'm so happy for you."

At that moment Bridget returned walking into Pepper's office. She was beaming with excitement. "He's so amazing!"

"Who?" Tim asked.

"Captain America!" Bridget replied gleefully.

"You met him too?"

"Yes. I took him upstairs to see Mr. Stark. He's so good looking! And he's so polite. He's got such a cute smile. And his body is perfect. I mean PER-FECT. I like how he always stands up straight and tall-"

"He does have great posture," Tim admitted.

"-he's amazing! You're so lucky, Maria. Does this mean he'll be hanging around here more often?"

"Could you all please stop piling on?" Maria groaned. "We all know how great he is."

"You know, Maria still hasn't answered him yet." Pepper pointed out.

"Of course she's going to say yes." Bridget said. "You are going to say yes...right?"

They all turn towards Maria, waiting for a response.

"...I don't know," Maria softly replied as if she were only saying it to herself. "Right now I'm finding the whole idea to be a little...overwhelming when I think about."

"Really?" Tim said in disbelief. "What is there to think about?"

"Hey, this isn't an easy-"

"What's not easy about this?!" Tim shot back.

Maria was surprised at Tim's reaction. Tim often came across as soft spoken and kind of shy but he was suddenly very passionate about this situation.

"He's Captain FREAKING America!" Tim exclaimed. "Are you single, Maria?"

"Yes, but-"

"You do realize that if word gets out that you said 'no' to a date with Captain America, no man will ask you out ever again?"

"Why's that?"

"Because if Captain America isn't good enough for you, then no one is good enough for you."

Pepper and Bridget nodded in agreement.

"He's got a point," said Pepper.

"He's the greatest solider in history!" Tim continued. "He's probably the nicest person I've ever met."

"Here, look at this." Tim reached into his pocket and brought out his phone.

"On Twitter you can see an enormous amount of Tweets when Captain Rogers is out on the street and they're all talking about how great he is and how he's always helping people out."

Tim scrolled trough his Twitter feed searching for examples while Pepper and Bridget leaned in beside him to see his phone screen. Maria continued to stand in place opposite them with her arms crossed seemingly lost in thought.

"Here, look at this one. 'Saw Captain America stop to help an old lady carry groceries into her apartment. #capisthebest'

Here is another one: 'My car broke down and Captain America offered to help. He pushed my car home 18 blocks! #capistheman'

Or this one: 'Saw Steve Rogers jogging and he saved a guy from getting hit by a car. He is so hot. I would gladly let him wreck my vagi-'"

Tim cut himself off from finishing and looked up from his phone "-You know what, I think you get the idea."

Maria seemed to visibly wince with every tweet Tim read out.

"You know that thing we've all enjoyed our whole lives? It's really important, you may have heard of it. What's that thing called?...Oh yeah, FREEDOM! You know who got that for you?" Tim asked Maria derisively.

"I don't know...who?" Maria sighed knowing full well what Tim was going to say next.

"Captain America, that's who! If it weren't for him we'd all be speaking German right now and ending all our sentences with 'Hail Hydra'."

Tim continued with what was quickly turning into a rant, "He defeated Hydra, selflessly crashed a giant plane carrying explosives saving thousands of lives, and as a result was frozen for 70 years. He did that for us!"

Maria turned to Pepper, "You know you can stop him at any time."

Pepper just shook her head, "Actually, I kind of want to see where he goes with this."

Maria just rolled her eyes and continued to listen to what Tim was going to say next.

"We find him, thaw him out, and then he goes out and defends us against an alien invasion."

"The battle of New York...I was there for that," Maria interjects.

"Then he discovers Hydra is alive and kicking within S.H.I.E.L.D., foils their plot to kill millions of people, and he defeats Hydra, again! He took down Hydra TWICE."

"I know. I was there for that too. I was part of that operation." Maria admitted. A deflated tone was evident in her voice.

"You were there for that?" Bridget asked.

Maria nodded.

"I was at the Triskelion that day too. I remember like it was yesterday." Tim said. "Captain Rogers got on the PA system to address everyone in the building. He gave this speech basically telling us that Hydra was within S.H.I.E.L.D. and that they had to be stopped. I'll never forget the end of his speech. He said: 'The price of freedom is high. Always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not.'"

While reciting the speech, Tim corrected his posture slightly, standing up straight and tall, his arm bent as if he were carrying a shield, imitating Captain Rogers' mannerisms. Pepper and Bridget both looked on impressed with both the words with which Captain America spoke and Tim's recollection of the speech from memory. "I wasn't a field agent but when he was done talking I was so pumped up I was ready to kick some Hydra ass."

"Wow," said Bridget and Pepper simultaneously, impressed with what they just heard.

"I was standing right next to him when he made that speech." Maria confessed.

"If I was standing next to him when he made that speech-" Bridget began with a serious look on her face. "I would have been all over him and jammed my tongue down his-"

They all turn their heads towards Bridget causing her to cut herself off from finishing her thought.

"What? He was going into battle against Hydra. What if he didn't make it back? That would have been my only chance."

"He almost didn't make it back." Maria admitted.

"In that case, I stand by what I said." Bridget proudly responded.

"So...why can't you go out with him?" Pepper asked Maria.

"He's Captain America." Tim pleaded. "If you can't do it for yourself...do it for your country?"

"Why are you so passionate about this?" Pepper asked.

"During my time at S.H.I.E.L.D. I got to meet Captain Rogers a few times," Tim answered. "I like him. He's a really nice guy. After all he's been through he could be a total douche bag but he's not. He's done so much for all of us. I root for guy. How can you not?

Plus, I don't think he has any family or friends left from before he was frozen. I feel kind of sorry for him. Maybe that's why he asked you out, Maria." Tim concluded. "You probably have more in common with him than most people."

"Like you said, you were there for the battle of New York," said Pepper.

"You were there with him when you took down Hydra," added Bridget.

"See, you two have been through quite a bit together," Tim admitted.

Maria realized that what they were all saying did make sense. Unfortunately, it didn't help make her decision any easier for her.

"I wonder what a date with him would be like." Bridget wondered aloud.

"Well, Captain Rogers is from the 1940's, so he'll probably be really old fashioned." Tim reasoned.

"He'll open doors for you, pull out your chair, and he'll have you back home at a reasonable hour."

"Aw, that sounds so sweet." said Bridget.

"Being the type of guy that Captain Rogers is, at the end of the night he'll walk you to your door, and your goodnight kiss will probably be just a peck on the cheek, nothing more, because he's respectful that way." Tim speculated.

"If it were me, I would want more than just a peck on the cheek from him." admitted Bridget.

Tim pondered the thought for a moment rubbing his chin. "Well, if you want more from him, you're probably going to have to force it out of him...jump him." Tim surmised. "I guess that's where your S.H.I.E.L.D. training can come in handy, Maria."

"I can't believe we're having this conversation," Maria admitted. "I'm not going to _jump_ anyone."

"What if he charms the pants off of you with his good looks and down to earth innocence?" Pepper asked, tongue-in-cheek.

"If that happens you may want to take my advice." Tim added. "Wait until he's distracted, then get the drop on him."

Maria just shook her head at the entire notion.

"I wonder what Thor would be like on a date." Bridget wondered aloud.

"Did you ever get to meet him?" she asked Tim.

"I never met him. He had no need to see someone in the Tech division like me. All he needs is his hammer and those gigantic arms of his to swing it."

"I bet Thor would be a fun date. He could show you around Asgard and whatever other realms there are out there." Bridget wondered.

"True, but wouldn't the distance eventually put a strain on the relationship?" Tim asked. "I know guys whose relationships suffered when their girlfriends went to school out of state. What would you do if your boyfriend had to leave the planet for extended periods? Do they get email in Asgard?"

"That is a good point." Pepper admitted. "Aren't you glad you're dating a super soldier and not an Asgardian?" she said to Maria.

"I technically haven't said yes to him." Maria responded under her breath.

Tim and Bridget continued their conversation regarding the pros and cons of dating a superhero. Pepper continued her gentle ribbing of Maria and her current predicament. Maria could handle the friendly joking from Pepper. She considered Pepper a confidant. Tim and Bridget were different. Tim was already somewhat familiar with Maria from their time at S.H.I.E.L.D. and it was obvious that he liked the more relaxed atmosphere at Stark Industries. Bridget is still relatively new and didn't know any better. Maria couldn't help but think that if this were S.H.I.E.L.D., newer recruits like them would never talk like this to her or in front of her. Maria looked on at the scene unfolding in front of her. It suddenly felt like all the work she put into cementing her reputation had all come undone.

_This would never happen at S.H.I.E.L.D._, Maria thought to herself.

Pepper took Maria aside while Tim and Bridget continued to talk superheroes.

"Let's cut to the chase. Do you like him?" Pepper asked.

Maria just silently looked at Pepper with her mouth open slightly like she wants to speak but can't.

"I knew it. You do like him!" Pepper said with a grin. "It's okay. No one can blame you for liking him. Look at the effect he had on Bridget and she just met him."

Maria closed her eyes and sighed.

"Look, I may have started to have feelings for him the last time I saw him." Maria confessed, looking at the ground like she was ashamed of what she was saying.

"That's great." said Pepper. "So what's the problem?"

"After everything we went through with S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA I figured that I wouldn't have to see him again for a long time. I never thought I'd have to revisit any of this so soon."

"Oh, I get it. You really, really like him."

Maria just shot a look of annoyance at Pepper.

"Look," Pepper said with a comforting and serious tone. "I'm sorry that I've been poking fun at you. It's just that you're usually so decisive and in control. I've never seen you so...flustered."

"I don't think you should continue to ignore your feelings for-"

"No, that's exactly what I have to do." Maria interjected. "That's what I've always done. Emotions cloud your judgement, cause distractions and mistakes. That's how I got through my time at S.H.I.E.L.D."

Upon hearing this Pepper had a sympathetic look on her face.

"Maria," Pepper said softly. "you're not at S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore."

Pepper's straightforward statement seemed to hit Maria like a ton of bricks. She didn't know what to say.

"I don't know what it was like for you working at S.H.I.E.L.D., but I'm guessing it's a little different then the way things are here." Pepper said reassuringly.

"I know you're comfortable being the drill sergeant who rules over everyone with an iron fist-"

Maria shoots Pepper a look. Her right eyebrow is raised in reaction to what Pepper has just said.

"-you know what I mean." Pepper responds. "What I'm trying to say is that here you can tone that down a little bit. You're human. You're allowed to have feelings. Just because you ignored them at S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't mean you have to do that here too."

Maria paused to think about Pepper's words of advice.

"Maybe I haven't fully adjusted to being here yet after all." Maria finally admitted.

"It's just a date. Maybe you're over thinking the whole thing."

"I've had more horrible first dates than I'd like to admit." Maria said. She was clearly not proud of this fact.

"You're just scared because you've never liked someone this much. You're afraid of getting hurt." Pepper replied. "Or you're afraid you're going to hurt him."

Upon hearing that Maria halfheartedly nods her head, acknowledging that Pepper's opinion may have some merit.

"I haven't been on a date in ages." Maria confessed.

"I kind of get the feeling that he hasn't either." Pepper countered.

Maria stopped to think about what Pepper had just said. Pepper's observation made her feel a little bit better about the whole thing.

"Here's how I see it," Pepper continued. "I know you like him and I could tell he likes you-"

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw the way he was looking at you. There was definitely something there."

"He's just not used to seeing me not wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform." Maria pointed out.

"Exactly. He hasn't seen you in awhile. Maybe now that you're no longer a 'co-worker' he's starting to look at you differently."

"I guess that makes sense." Maria conceded.

"Great, it's settled. You're going out with him." Pepper concluded.

"She's going to do it?" Bridget asked, finally breaking away from her side conversation with Tim.

"Yeah, she's doing it." Pepper answered.

Maria still had a look of concern on her face.

"What are you worrying about? It'll be fine." Bridget said trying to console her.

"Yeah, it's not like you two will be attacked by terrorists on your date or something," Tim pointed out. "But with your S.H.I.E.L.D. training and his combat skills maybe you'd both be into that?"

"None of that will happen." said Pepper reassuringly to Maria.

"Hey, I just thought of something." Bridget said with an inquisitive look on her face. "Captain Rogers is a super soldier, right? So he has enhanced strength and stuff like that?"

"Yes, that's right." Maria answered.

"So he also has, like, enhanced endurance and stamina?"

"Yeah, what are you getting at?"

"You know what that means, right?" Bridget asked. A wide smile began to grow across her face.

"If the date goes really well, and you take him back to your place, and things start to get hot and heavy, he can keep going...and going...and going...and going...and going..."

Pepper and Tim both hide their faces from Maria in an attempt to hold in their laughter. Bridget is nodding her head up and down as she keeps repeating herself.

"I'm not listening to this anymore," Maria said putting her hands up in defeat. "I'm going back to my office. Thanks for my phone, Tim. "

"You're welcome, Maria. Good luck with your date." Tim replied. He had to raise his voice slightly to be heard over Bridget, who still hasn't stopped repeating the same two words over and over.

"I still haven't technically said yes." Maria responded under her breath as she headed towards the door.

Before Maria exits the room, she stops suddenly and turns around to face everyone.

"None of what happened today leaves this room. Understand?" Maria says pointing her finger accusingly at each of them.

Everyone stops to look at Maria. They all silently nod in agreement. Maria seems to have returned to her previous tone and demeanor of a strict authority figure. She hopes that it helps make the rest of the day return back to normal.

As Maria exits Pepper's office she examines her new phone. She could still hear them continue their conversation from inside Pepper's office about the merits and pitfalls of dating superheroes. Maria flipped through her calendar and checked for any missed calls or text messages.

Maria was only several steps past the reception desk when she heard a voice call her name.

"Maria?"

She raised her head away from her phone to see Steve walking towards her from the elevators. Once their eyes meet he immediately smiles.

"Hi...how was your meeting?" Maria slowly asked, not sure what else to say.

"It was good. A little brief, though. Stark does have a lot of other business to attend to, so it's understandable."

"So..." Steve continued, trying to seamlessly transition from one topic to another. "Any thought to what we discussed earlier?"

Maria smiled and took a deep breath. Steve's eyes still fixated on her like he can't look away. A gentle smile appears across his face. His unfading attention almost makes her blush.

"Well, I have thought about it...and I think-"

Before Maria can finish her thought everyone emerges from Pepper's office. They're still continuing their discussion from earlier.

"Okay, so it's settled," Tim says as he exits Pepper's office. Pepper and Bridget are both alongside him nodding in agreement. "You've both reached a consensus. So basically what you're both saying is, you bang Thor, but you marry Cap-"

Tim looks up to see Captain Rogers and Maria both turning their heads to look at him. Maria shoots Tim a death stare cutting him off in mid-sentence.

"-Ca-Captain Rogers...good to...see you again."

"Hello, Tim...It's good to see you too." Steve responded with a somewhat perplexed look on his face.

"He remembers me." Tim happily whispers to Bridget and Pepper.

Maria shot another glare in the group's direction. They all took this as a cue to pretend to look busy. Noticing this, Maria takes Steve by the arm and leads him several steps farther away from any would be eavesdroppers.

"Well, I have thought about it...and-" Maria looks into Steve's eyes. His eyebrows were raised slightly. He was hanging on her every word.

_Ugh, why is this so hard?_ Maria thought to herself.

"-how about dinner...tonight?" Maria said, finally finishing her thought.

"That sounds great." Steve replied. "So...it's a date."

"Should I pick you up? Or should we just meet somewhere? I'm sorry, I haven't done this in awhile." Steve admitted sheepishly.

"No, that's okay." Maria quickly responded, trying to make him feel better. "You can pick me up. Let's say...seven o'clock?"

"Okay then. I'll see you tonight." Steve said. His head once again raised high with his usual confidence.

"I still have your contact information from my time at S.H.I.E.L.D. I'll send you my address and any other details you might need." Maria added.

"That sounds great." Steve replied.

They continued to gaze at each other, politely smiling, coming to the realization of what they have both just committed to. Steve finally speaks first, breaking their nice moment.

"Well, I better get going. I don't want to take any more time out of your busy day." Steve said slowly backing away. "Goodbye, Maria."

"Goodbye, Steve."

Steve turned to walk away and said goodbye to Pepper, Bridget, and Tim on his way back to the elevators. The four of them all stood at the reception desk and watched Steve as he entered the elevator. Steve gave one last glance to Maria and smiled before the doors finally close.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" said Pepper.

"You did say yes, right?" asked Bridget.

"Yes, I did." Maria answered.

"Because if you didn't I would have chased after him to get that date for myself." Bridget added.

"At least you got the hard part out of the way." said Pepper.

"Well, there's still the actual _date_ part I have to worry about." Maria countered.

They all continued to stare off in the direction of the elevators, still taking in all the unexpected events that happened that morning.

Bridget leaned in beside Maria without breaking her stare to the elevators and whispered to her, "If you break his heart I will destroy you."

Maria slowly broke her gaze from the elevators to look at Bridget. She shrugged to herself and finally returned her gaze to the elevators with the rest of the group.

_Tonight is going to be very interesting_, she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Maria is staring at herself in the mirror. A stoic look is on her face. She stares at her own reflection in quiet concentration, as if she's preparing for a mission of vast importance. She finally breaks focus from the mirror and closes her eyes to take one long, deep, calming breath.

"Are you ready yet?"

Maria looks down to her phone lying on top of the dresser directly in front of her. She looks back up to the mirror on the wall hanging above. She is once again staring intently face to face with her reflection.

"Yeah, I think so." Maria answers.

Pepper's voice can be heard once again. Maria has her on speaker phone.

"Good. Now can you do one thing for me?" Pepper asks.

"Sure. What?"

"RELAX"

Maria looked back down to her phone with an annoyed look on her face.

"I am relaxed."

"No, you're not." Pepper answered. "I may not be able to see you but I can tell you're freaking out a little bit."

Maria ran her hands through her hair in anguish and looked back at her phone on the dresser.

"This is a mistake, isn't it?" Maria asked.

"No, it's not." Pepper replied. "Plus it's too late. You can't back out now."

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Maria says, her voice straining in imaginary agony. Her head is cocked back as far as it will go causing her to face the ceiling. Both of her hands are now covering her face.

"Take your hands off your face. You don't want to ruin your makeup."

Maria looked back to the phone with a confused look. "How did you know?"

"Your hands are muffling your voice."

Maria removed her hands from her face and looked back to the mirror in front of her.

"Why am I doing this again?" Maria asked.

"You're going on a date with Captain America because he asked you out this morning and after some convincing you said yes."

"Yeah, that pretty much covers it." Maria replied with a deflated tone.

"It'll be fine. Stop worrying." Pepper said reassuringly.

"Pepper, I have been on so many terrible first dates-"

"-And why do you keep looking for reasons for this to fail?" interrupted Pepper. The frustration in her voice can be heard loud and clear through the phone speaker.

"I've been through this so many times before," Maria responds. "What if he has some annoying habit that just irks me to the point that I can't let it go?"

"Like what? Selflessly throwing himself into imminent danger to save people's lives? Yeah, that's a terrible quality to find in a person."

In reaction, Maria just glares at her phone with an uneasy look on her face.

"And why do you keep looking for reasons not to like him when you obviously do?"

Maria doesn't answer her. She just looks back at herself in the mirror and sighs.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Maria quietly says to herself.

"I can't believe I'm talking to you on the phone as you're getting ready for your date. This feels very...high school to me." Pepper admits.

Maria crosses her arms, still looking at her reflection in the mirror lost in thought.

"Look," Pepper continues. "Stop over thinking this. It's a first date. First dates should be about getting to know each other. Just focus on that."

"Well, we already kind of know each other." Maria confesses. "I've also read his S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel file and it wouldn't surprise me if he's read mine."

"You read his file. Wow, how romantic." Pepper replies sarcastically. "I'm sure those files don't have _everything_ about your lives in them. There's got to be something you can talk about that's not in his file."

"I don't know," Maria replies. "S.H.I.E.L.D. files are pretty extensive."

"You see, that's your problem. You're still stuck in 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' mode." Pepper retorts.

"Didn't I tell you this morning to tone that down?"

"Yeah, you did." Maria admits.

"Stop looking at this like it's a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission. It's a first date, nothing more."

"Okay, fine."

"Good. Now we need you to get over your first date fears. In your opinion, what happens on your dates that completely ruin things?"

Maria thought to herself for a moment. Memories of her numerous bad dates are flowing through her mind.

"Oh, I got something. Silence."

"Silence?"

"Awkward silence. You know, that part of the date where you both run out of things to say and then there's that awkward silence. I hate that."

"Hmmm, okay. In that case, you need to come up with a conversation starter."

They both paused trying to come up with an idea.

"It would probably be best not to talk about work, or in his case, superhero related stuff, right?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, I think that's the way to go."

They both continued thinking but neither one were coming up with any ideas.

"What do you talk about to a 95 year old man who was frozen for 70 years?" Maria pondered.

"Ask him something...fun...and unexpected...to lighten the mood." Pepper remarked.

"Like what?"

"I don't know...ask him...ask him who his celebrity crush is."

Maria tilted her head towards the phone with a humorless look on her face.

"Really? That sounds like a typical fluff question an entertainment reporter would ask an untalented pop star." Maria retorts. "Wow, what we're doing right now does feel very high school."

"Sorry, I just remembered Bridget mentioning it to me earlier today." Pepper admitted. "I think she read it in a magazine. It's supposed to reveal something about the person who answers it...or something like that. You know what? Just forget I ever mentioned it." Pepper explained.

"Wow, what _do_ you talk to a 95 year old super soldier about?" Pepper asked.

They both think it over for a few moments longer.

"Never mind, you're smart. You'll think of something." Pepper concluded."So, where are you two going for dinner?"

"There's a nice little French restaurant nearby that I always wanted to try out. I suggested it."

Just then several knocks can be heard from Maria's apartment door.

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK._

"What was that?" Pepper asked.

"Hang on a minute, Pepper."

Maria left her bedroom and walked down the hallway to the front door. She looked through the peep hole for a split second and then quickly backed away. She turned her back to the door and leaned against it, like she was trying to hold off a lethal intruder on the other side.

"Steve?" Maria said loudly so she can be heard through the door.

"Maria?" he answered. "It's me. Sorry, I'm a little early. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah...that's alright." she said while trying to hide the feeling of panic she was experiencing.

"Can you just give me a minute please?"

"Sure. Take as much time as you need."

Maria hurried back down the hall to the bedroom.

"He's here." Maria said into the phone. She looked at the alarm clock on her nightstand. The current time read 6:50.

"He's ten minutes early. I thought I had more time." she announced.

"Wow, Captain America is punctual. Who would have guessed that?" Pepper responded. She laid on the sarcasm extra thick in her response.

"How did he get into the building? Visitors have to be buzzed in by a tenant. My intercom didn't go off."

"He's Captain America. You really think the lobby doors can stop him from getting in? I'm mildly surprised he didn't scale the building and climb in through your window."

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later." Maria hurriedly said.

"Good luck-" Pepper said just as Maria hung up the phone.

Maria stood in front of the mirror. She looked herself over and quickly fixed a few out of place strands of hair. With both hands she calmly smoothed out her dress. Her dress was a dark navy blue that came down to just above her knees. Looking at it in the mirror Maria realizes that it's the exact same color as Captain America's alternate uniform that he wears for night/stealth missions. She wonders if that was in the back of her mind when she chose to wear it.

Maria finally slipped on a pair of black high heel shoes and took one last look in the mirror. Satisfied with herself, she heads down the hallway towards the front door. Steve can hear Maria approaching from outside. An audible _clack clack clack_ can be heard with her every step.

Maria places her hand on the knob and takes a deep breath before opening the door.

"Hi, Steve." she says before the door is even halfway open.

Once the door has opened all the way she is somewhat taken aback by the beautiful bouquet of flowers Steve is holding.

"Hello, Maria." Steve says.

He quickly looks her over and is seemingly at a loss for words. "Wow...you look...very beautiful."

"Thank you, Steve." Maria replies with a smile. "And you look very handsome."

"Thank you." Steve says. He offers her the flowers. "These are for you."

He hands Maria the bouquet. It consists of a dozen long-stemmed red roses. Maria can't remember the last time she had ever received flowers from anyone. She stares at them in adoration for a few moments. The bold yet simple gesture makes her heart melt.

"Thank you. These are beautiful." she says still staring at the flowers.

"I wasn't sure if you liked roses or not. I almost went with hydrangeas or orchids." Steve said. "I was worried that roses were a little...old fashioned."

"No, I think they're great." Maria responds. She looks back up at Steve with a warm smile, "Lately, I've been starting to like things that are a little...old fashioned."

Steve acknowledges Maria's clever little quip with a modest grin. They're both still standing in the doorway smiling at each other. Steve is still only partially inside the apartment.

"Please, come in." Maria says. "I'll go put these in some water."

Maria walks around the corner taking the flowers to the kitchen. Steve takes a few steps inside to the end of the foyer to get a better look at the apartment. Maria puts the flowers in a vase with water and places it on the kitchen counter. She glances at the flowers once more and leans in to smell them with one quick breath before returning to the foyer.

"By the way, how did you get into the building? You didn't call me on the intercom." Maria asked.

"When I got to the door a young woman was just leaving. She saw me and let me in. Your neighbors are very nice."

"That makes sense. I'd imagine most women would let you in if they saw you approaching them with a bouquet of roses." Maria said. "Are you ready to go? Our reservation is in thirty minutes."

"I'm ready when you are." he replied.

Maria went to her bedroom to get her hand bag and phone and then headed back to the foyer. When she returned she saw Steve examining his clothing. He had a look of doubt on his face.

"Am I dressed okay? In your message you said the restaurant we're going to is fancy but not too fancy. I didn't know what that meant. Should I have worn a tie?"

Maria noticed how nervous Steve appeared. It reminded her of how she felt right before he arrived. The Captain America she was used to was always so calm and confident. Steve Rogers wasn't either of those things right now. Maria found the whole scene rather endearing.

Maria put her hands on his chest and gently smoothed out his suit jacket and shirt. Her touch seemed to immediately put him at ease.

"You look fine, Steve." she says reassuringly. "I think you look great."

Steve manages to gather himself and looks at her with that shy grin of his.

"You ready to go?" she asks.

"I am now." he warmly answers.

They exit the building and begin their short walk to the restaurant. It's a beautiful night outside in New York City. It's a little warm out, with a soft breeze blowing from time to time. As they walk they engage in some small talk. Steve tells her about his old neighborhood in Brooklyn and how it's changed since he's visited it recently. Maria mentions her time growing up in Chicago. Steve tells her about the list he carries of things he needs to catch up on and even shows it to her.

When they arrive at the restaurant, Steve opens the door for her. The dining room is spacious yet inviting, with the lighting at a slightly dim setting, making for a very romantic ambiance. When the maitre d' leads them to their table, Steve politely pulls out Maria's chair for her. They peruse the menu for a few minutes. All the items are listed in both English and French. Maria orders the scallops while Steve orders the chicken. The waitress is very impressed when Steve gives his order in French. So is Maria.

"How did you do that?" Maria asked.

"Do what?"

"You ordered in French." Maria said with a puzzled look on her face. "Why does Captain _America_ know how to speak French? Don't tell me you spent the day learning French when we decided to come here."

"No," Steve replied. "I picked up a little French while in Europe during the war."

"My friend Gabe of the Howling Commandos studied French and was able to teach me a little. I'm not fluent but I know enough to get by."

"I don't remember reading that in your file." Maria said to herself.

"You read my file?" Steve asked with a curious grin.

Maria's eyes widened realizing what she had just said.

"No, I didn't read your file...well I did read your file...I didn't read it today because of our date...I read it a long time ago...when I found out that you were returning to..."

As Maria fumbled through her words trying to explain herself she noticed Steve quietly chuckling to himself.

"...why are you laughing?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I just thought it was funny listening to you try to talk yourself out of that." he replied with a smile.

"It's okay. I don't mind that you read my file. I'd imagine it was required reading for you when I first came back."

Maria looked at him with a sardonic grin. "Well, I think it's very impressive that you can speak another language among all your other unique abilities."

"Thank you," Steve said graciously.

"I think you also impressed our young waitress as well." Maria said.

As if on cue, their waitress approaches the table carrying a bottle of wine.

"A bottle of rosé on the house, Monsieur Rogers."

Steve glances at Maria with a look of pleasant surprise.

"Merci beaucoup." Steve replies to the waitress.

The waitress pours them both a glass of wine and departs, leaving the bottle at the table.

"Have you been here before?" Maria asks with a suspicious look as she takes a sip of her wine.

"No. Why?"

"Well, they obviously recognize you." Maria observed. She could see some of the restaurant staff curiously looking in their direction as they pass by.

"Plus I think our waitress has a crush on you." she adds.

"No she doesn't. She's just being nice."

"Yeah, keep thinking that Rogers." Maria replies with a grin. "And drink your complementary rosé."

"Maria, are you trying to get me drunk?" Steve asks with a grin.

"Well, maybe I am." she replies teasingly.

"Because I can't get drunk," Steve says. His grin has vanished and is replaced with a serious look on his face.

"Really?"

"Really, I can't get drunk." he responds. "It's because my metabolism is four to six times faster than normal. Trust me, I've tried once before."

"Good to know," Maria says with a smirk. "I guess I'll have to cancel the drinking contest I had planned for later."

Steve just grins and takes a sip of his rosé. He looks at Maria with a gentle smile and a longing gaze. She returns his gaze with one of her own.

For a brief period, they both share a quiet moment as they sit back and enjoy their wine. Things seem to be going well until Maria starts to realize that they may be settling into her greatest first date fear: awkward silence.

Steve looks to be comfortable, taking in the pleasant, romantic environment while still focused on Maria. Maria meanwhile began to fear the worst about the situation. She quickly thought back to her conversation with Pepper earlier in the evening.

"I have a fun question." Maria suddenly exclaims, catching Steve off guard. "Who is your celebrity crush?"

Steve paused for a moment with a perplexed look on his face. "Wow...I was not expecting that." Steve finally says putting his glass of wine on the table. "What an interesting question."

Maria takes a moment to think about what she had just blurted out and remembers that she initially thought that it was a terrible question to begin with.

"You know what, never mind. It's a horrible question."

"Why did you ask it, then?"

"I don't know." Maria confesses. "It got silent and I felt I had to say something. Bridget originally came up with that question. It makes sense, she's probably trying to sabotage this date so she can have you for herself."

"Why would Bridget want me for-"

Maria shot Steve a glance with a smirk, "Really? You don't remember how she was looking at you this morning? She has a huge crush on you. You know, for a super soldier, sometimes you're not very observant."

Steve nodded in resigned agreement. "Okay...so what was the point of the question?"

"It was meant to be something fun to ask to lighten the mood. You know, to break the ice."

Steve immediately looks at Maria with an eyebrow raised.

"Break the ice...break the ice?..." Steve had a look of hurt on his face. "Are you making fun of me?"

Maria immediately freezes and thinks about what she had just said. She realizes that the phrase 'break the ice' would not be offensive to most people. The rare exception may be for a man who was frozen in ice for seventy years. Unfortunately, that man is sitting in front of her right now.

"Steve, I am so sorry...I didn't mean anything by it...I didn't realize..."

Maria stopped and noticed a sly smile grow across Steve's face.

"You're messing with me again, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry," Steve said as he tried to hold in his laughter. "I saw the opening and it was too easy to pass up."

"Wow, who knew Captain America had a sense of humor?" Maria said playfully.

Steve reached across the table and held Maria's hand. "Look, I don't think we need to 'break the ice'. As far as I'm concerned, the ice has already been broken...pun intended."

Steve looks at Maria with a comforting smile. Maria happily returns the look in kind.

"You know, if it makes you feel better, I'll answer the question." Steve offers.

"You will? No, you don't have to."

"I'll answer it on one condition. You have to answer it too."

Maria thinks about the offer for a moment and takes a deep breath.

"Okay, fine." she answers. "I'm only doing this because you have piqued my interest and I am very curious on what your answer will be."

They both look at each other intrigued with what is developing.

"Who goes first?" Steve asks.

"Let's both answer...on a count of three." Maria suggests.

Steve nods in agreement.

Maria begins to count, "One...two...three-"

They both blurt out their answers at the same time.

"Ryan Gosling"

"Rita Hayworth"

Upon hearing their answers they both look at each other with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Who?" they both ask at the same time.

"That name doesn't ring a bell." Maria confesses.

"Neither does yours." Steve admits.

"Rita Hayworth was a big movie star back in the forties. She was very beautiful. Everyone had a crush on her." Steve explained.

Maria tried to think of where she might have seen or heard of Rita Hayworth.

"Oh, I think I know who that is. I remember seeing her in 'The Shawshank Redemption'. There's a scene where the prisoners are watching a movie and when she appears on screen they all go crazy. She was very beautiful." Maria recalls.

"I have seen that movie. It's on TV all the time. You are right, that is her." Steve confirmed.

"So...who's Ryan Gosling. Should I add him to my list?" Steve asks as he reaches for his notepad and pen in his jacket pocket.

"He's an actor. He has done a wide range of movies, but I think I like him best in his more romantic roles. He's very handsome and has a great body...In some ways, you kind of remind me of him."

Upon hearing this Steve looks at Maria with a grin. "So...are you saying you think I'm handsome with a great body?"

Maria tries to fight back a smile as she looks away from Steve. She's trying not to blush.

"You don't have to answer that." Steve says with a smirk.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go to men's room." he says as he rises out of his chair. "I'll be right back."

As Steve walks away Maria is still thinking about the amusing exchange they just shared. She suddenly remembers what Pepper said regarding what a person's celebrity crush says about them. Immediately, Maria reaches into her bag for her phone. She googles the phrase '_what does your celebrity crush say about you?_'.

She randomly selects a link in the search results and views the web page. Quickly scanning the page she reads '_celebrity crushes offer insight into our own personalities as we learn about our true desires in a relationship_'. It has several category types listed with names of celebrities as examples who fit the category. Maria scanned the categories but wasn't sure which one Rita Hayworth fit under. She did however find Ryan Gosling's name under '_the sweet sensitive guy_' category. The write up said '_If you are attracted to this celebrity, you are looking for a keeper. Someone who will be confident and care about you and your needs. You are ready for a real relationship. You want someone who can commit as well,_'

Maria thought about that for a moment. She never looked at herself in that way before. She begins to wonder if Steve fits the description she just read. After a brief moment Maria quickly shook her head like she had suddenly come back to her senses.

_Why am I looking this stuff up on my phone like a sixteen year old girl?,_ she thought to herself as she placed her phone back in her bag.

"You're right, they do recognize me." Steve says as he returns to the table and sits in his seat. "The owner just introduced himself to me. I thanked him for the bottle of wine."

"I'm a little surprised you don't get recognized more often." Maria says. "Not everyone has an entire exhibit dedicated to them at the Smithsonian."

"I do get looks from time to time." he admits. "Most people are respectful. If I'm wearing the uniform, things can be a little different."

"You're kind of hard to miss when you wear it." Maria points out sarcastically.

"I actually haven't worn it in awhile." Steve admits. "With everything that's changed recently, I haven't really had to wear it."

Steve now had a look of contemplation on his face. "Sometimes I'm not sure where I fit in the world anymore."

"Steve," Maria said. A note of sympathy can be heard in her voice. "the world will always need Captain America."

"And what about Steve Rogers?"

"...You can't have one without the other." Maria answered.

"It's not always that simple." Steve countered. "These last two years that I've been back were pretty tough at times."

"How so?"

"Well," Steve began as he took a sip of wine. "when I woke up I had no family or friends, just 70 years of history to catch up on. It was lonely at times. To keep myself busy I just threw myself into work by taking S.H.I.E.L.D. missions because I thought that's what I was best at. I wasn't always happy doing them either. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone, I sometimes don't know what to do with myself."

Maria listened with an apologetic look on her face.

"I guess I still have some adjusting to do." he admitted.

Maria thought to herself for a few moments before finally speaking. "Why did you ask me out?" Maria asked. The question came out of nowhere catching Steve off guard.

"Why did I ask you out?" Steve repeated.

"I'm sorry if that sounds like a strange question, but I had to ask. When you asked me out, it was so unexpected for me. I've been thinking about it all day. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, that's okay." Steve replied. "When I went to see Stark this morning I didn't expect to see you, but when I did, I was...happy."

"You were?"

"Yes, I was. When I saw you, do you know what the first thing I thought of was?"

Maria shook her head.

"I thought back to when I was in the hospital after the battle on the helicarriers a few weeks ago."

Just the mention of the whole S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra take-down from weeks ago immediately makes the memories surge back into Maria's mind.

"When I saw you this morning I immediately thought back to the time that you visited me."

Maria now had a confused look on her face. "You were unconscious when I visited you."

"You kissed me." Steve responded.

"How did you-"

"Sam told me."

"Sam told you?"

"He said he stepped out for a minute. When he returned to the room he said he saw you kiss me and that you said something to me as well." Steve revealed. "He wanted to give you a moment so he waited outside until you were done. That's what he told me."

"He saw all that?" Maria asked.

"Yes, he did. May I ask what you said to me?"

Maria thought back to the day in question. She remembers standing over Steve's battered body. The emotions from the moment came flooding back to her.

"I said I was sorry...sorry for having the helicarriers destroy each other while you were still up there." Maria says with regret.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Steve said reassuringly. "You did what had to be done. Destroying those helicarriers saved millions of lives. I even told you to go through with it."

"You could've died." Maria replied apologetically.

"Don't do that to yourself. I'm here now and that's all that matters."

Steve leaned forward slightly to get closer to Maria. A comforting tone could be heard in his voice.

"These past few years, I've had trouble moving on and letting go of the past. I have trouble connecting with people. It's hard trying to find someone with shared life experience. When I saw you this morning, I thought you looked very pretty, and I realized that both you and I do have some shared life experience. I thought back to the kiss that you gave me while I was unconscious, and how much I wanted to experience that kiss while I was awake."

After listening to Steve's explanation Maria is moved beyond words. Steve reached out across the table and took her hand into his.

"That is why I asked you out."

At that moment their entrees arrive and are placed in front of them on the table. They continue to hold eye contact the whole time. After a few moments they let go of each others hands and begin to eat their meals. After finishing their entrees and imbibing more wine, they order dessert, deciding to share a lemon soufflé.

Steve settles the bill and thanks the waitress before he and Maria depart. As they leave the restaurant, a cool breeze blows in the New York night. Sensing that Maria is cold, Steve takes his jacket off and places it on Maria's shoulders. They walk back to Maria's place holding hands.

They enter the apartment building and head to the elevators. On the way up to the apartment, Maria looks at their reflections in the mirrored elevator doors in front of them. Steve is wearing a dark navy suit with a white checkered shirt. Standing side by side holding hands she notices that they're both wearing the same dark blue color. With their color coordinated outfits she thinks they kind of look like a nice, actual couple. She keeps staring at their reflections. _I think I can get used to this_, she thought.

They exit the elevator on Maria's floor and head down the hallway to her apartment. They arrive at her door and Maria turns to face Steve.

"You know, this whole time I've been trying to find reasons why this wasn't going to work. Or find reasons not to like you." Maria admitted. "Instead I find out that you're kind, you're polite, you're witty, you're charming, you're punctual, _and_ you can speak French."

"I like you too." Steve responds with a smile. "I'd really like to do this again sometime."

"Yes, absolutely." Maria says.

They continue to look at each other fondly. Steve begins to lean in towards her. Maria sits back, eagerly awaiting her good night kiss. Steve softly kisses her on the cheek, just barely missing her lips.

"Goodnight, Maria." he says politely.

"Goodnight, Steve." she replies.

Steve gives Maria one last affectionate glance before heading down the hall towards the elevators. Maria couldn't help but think of what Tim said to her earlier in the day. He guessed that an 'old fashioned guy' like Steve would only give a respectful peck on the cheek for his good night kiss and nothing more. _I guess Tim was right_, she thought.

Maria also remembered something else Tim said. He assumed that if you wanted more from Steve that you would have to 'jump' him. Catch him off guard, so to speak. Maria looked to see that Steve was already a few steps down the hallway heading to the elevators. Resigned to the fact that their date is over, Maria reaches for her keys to open her door. As she unlocks her door, she hears Steve call her name.

"Maria," he says.

Steve approaches her. Her foot was already partially inside her doorway. Steve slowly leans in towards her. Unable to hold back any longer, Maria leans in and kisses him on the lips. Their kiss is long and passionate. Weeks of built up tension between them seem to be released all at once. They eventually separate and look deep into each others eyes.

"Sorry if I caught you off guard there." Maria says.

"No, that was...amazing." Steve said with a shy grin. "But actually...I came back for my jacket." Maria looked over and saw that she was still wearing Steve's jacket on her shoulders. Somewhat embarrassed, Maria takes off the jacket and hands it back to Steve.

"You know, now that Stark is getting the Avengers back up and running, I'll be at Stark Towers quite a bit now." he says to Maria. "Maybe we can meet for coffee or lunch some time?"

"I'd like that." Maria replies. "By the way, Stark made me the Avengers liaison. So you'll _definitely_ be seeing more of me."

Hearing this news makes Steve smile just a little bit wider.

They once again say their good nights. Steve heads for the elevators and Maria is back in her apartment.

_This Avengers liaison job may not be so bad after all_, she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

It's a cloudy Friday morning, 8:55 AM, in New York City. Maria is walking down the street, making her way to Stark Tower to begin the work day. She has a look of contentment on her face. She's actually had that look on her face all week. Both Pepper and Bridget have noticed it. The look is hard to explain. Subdued joy is how Pepper would describe it. Now it may not be an obvious look of pure, unbridled joy or excitement, but for Maria, it might as well be. For the longest time, Maria always came across as someone who was "all business". Maybe even cold to the uninitiated. This slight change in her demeanor may be so subtle that it wouldn't be noticeable to most people, but to Bridget and Pepper, there's definitely a difference.

Maria has been feeling this way since she started dating Steve Rogers a week ago. Since their first date the previous Friday they've seen each other several times since. The last time they were together was on Tuesday. Steve had left for Washington D.C. the very next day to take care of some personal business. He was in the middle of moving from his apartment in D.C. to take residence in the Avengers living quarters in Stark Tower. After being apart for just over two days Maria didn't realize how much she would miss him. He is scheduled to return to New York today to begin the move. Maria knew this and was anxiously awaiting his return.

Maria enters Stark Tower and takes the elevator up to her floor, high up within the depths of the towering building. Once she arrives on her floor she starts the short trek to her office. On the way to her office is the reception desk where she sees Bridget. Bridget is sitting at her desk getting ready for the day and looks up to see Maria heading in her direction.

"Good morning, Maria." Bridget says to her as she approaches the reception desk.

"Morning, Bridget." she replies. Maria continued in stride to walk by in the direction of her office without stopping.

"You have a visitor to see you. I sent him to your office." says Bridget.

Maria stopped walking and turned towards Bridget with a curious look on her face.

"Did I have a meeting scheduled this morning?" Maria asked.

"No," Bridget replied with a grin. She momentarily pointed her eyes upward as she tried to search for the right words to say. "...I guess you could say he's...a walk-in. He insisted that he see you and he seemed _pretty_ important so I sent him right in."

Maria continued to stare at Bridget with a quizzical look. Bridget returned Maria's look with a knowing smile and a slight nod of the head.

"I think you should go to your office, Maria." Bridget added. "You wouldn't want to keep _him_ waiting."

Catching on to Bridget's hidden message, Maria's curious look vanished. The corners of her mouth curved upwards ever so slightly as she tried to hide the happiness she was now experiencing. Maria then continued on in the direction of her office at a slightly faster pace than she was walking before.

Maria walked down the hall and approached her office noticing that the door was partially open. She could see a figure through the blinds in the narrow window next to the door. The lights in the office hadn't been turned on yet. The only lighting provided was of the natural variety coming in through the large window behind her desk from the cloudy New York morning.

Maria stepped into her office. In front of her desk stood a man with his back turned to her. She proceeded to flip the switch on the wall turning on the lights. Once the lights came on the man turned around to face her, revealing himself to be Steve. He's casually dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt, and blue jacket. As he turned around Maria sees he's holding a vase with a dozen pink roses in front of him.

"Steve, you're back!" Maria said with a look of pleasant surprise.

"Good morning." Steve replied with a smile. "These are for you." he said handing her the vase and flowers.

Maria's eyes lit up as she looked over the flowers. Now that she was in the privacy of her office she allowed herself to smile brightly.

"Thank you so much. These are beautiful." Maria said. "When did you get back from D.C.?"

"I got back early this morning and made my way over here. I wanted to surprise you." he replied.

"Well, you did." she replied warmly as she continued to admire her flowers.

"Did Bridget give you any trouble when you got here?" Maria asked.

"No, of course not. She's very nice."

Maria gave Steve a curious look. "...What did she do?" Maria asked with a hint of skepticism.

"She didn't do anything, although I do feel kind of bad about how things went." Steve answered.

"What happened?"

"When I arrived I was going to ask Bridget if it was okay if I wait in your office for you. As soon as she saw me she hugged me...for a _very_ long time, and asked if the flowers were for her. I felt bad saying that they weren't." Steve explained. "Think I should get her flowers?"

"She was just joking...I think." Maria said. "Plus, I'm not sure that's the best idea. I think if you were to walk in one day and give her flowers she would pass out or something. If you followed that up by kissing her on the cheek her head would probably explode."

"You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea, would you?" Maria added. "Now do you see that she-"

"Has a crush on me? Yes, I see it now." Steve admitted. "I think the hug gave it away."

"It took you long enough to notice." Maria replied with a smirk.

"Are you jealous of the attention she's giving me?" Steve asked jokingly.

Maria elects not to answer and just shoots Steve a sarcastic smirk in response.

"You know what? I think we're getting off track here." Steve says.

He takes the vase of flowers out of Maria's hands and places them on the desk behind him. He then proceeds to face Maria and take both of her hands into his.

"I came here today because I wanted to give you these flowers for our one-week anniversary." Steve explained.

Maria thought about that for a quick second and realized that he was correct. "Yes, that's right. It has been a week."

"I realize that one week may not mean that much to you, but for me, it's kind of a personal milestone." he admitted with a shy grin.

Maria couldn't help but smile at the entire notion. Steve continued to gaze deeply into Maria's eyes.

"Also, we haven't seen each other in a few days...and I just really wanted to see you." Steve admitted.

Steve leaned in towards Maria for a kiss. Maria waited in anticipation. Not seeing each other for a few days made them both realize how much they've been waiting for this. As Steve moves in closer Maria notices out of the corner of her eye the movement of other office workers in the hallway. Maria sees that people are arriving for work and passing by in the hallway. Some are even casually looking in through the partially open door as they walk past the door.

"We can't do this." Maria says softly.

"What's wrong?" Steve asks.

"I'm sorry." Maria says as she looks towards her office door. "I don't think we can do this. Not here."

Steve looks towards the office door to see what Maria sees. He quickly realizes why Maria can't continue.

"I'm sorry, Steve. When I'm at work I take my job very seriously and I believe that there is a level of professionalism I have to maintain." Maria explained. "Maybe we shouldn't do this...while we're here in the building...during office hours."

Steve takes a moment to process this and responds.

"...You're right." he finally says. "I'm sorry. I should have looked at this from your perspective."

Steve was holding Maria's hands during the entire conversation but he proceeded to let them go. Maria begins to immediately miss his touch.

"Technically, I work here too. With the work we do, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard." Steve added.

"Yes, I agree." Maria replied. "I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye on this."

Maria was slightly surprised at how quickly Steve was accepting their newly adopted workplace philosophy, especially since she wasn't sure she was one hundred percent behind the idea herself at the moment. Maria felt like Steve's tone changed ever so slightly, like he was in full "Captain America" mode. This felt rather odd to her since he was currently not in uniform.

Steve took a deep breath and looked at Maria with a longing gaze. Maria continued to look at him as well. She was still thinking about the kiss they almost shared just a moment ago and how much she wanted to have it.

"I think that this is a good idea." Steve says. "Plus it's not like I have to wait that long just to kiss you."

"You don't mind having to wait?" Maria asks.

"I'm a patient man. I was frozen for seventy years, remember?" Steve replied with a gentle smile. "I've been waiting almost three days to see you. You get off work at five, right? I think I can wait eight more hours."

"How about you, do you think you can do this?" Steve asks.

"...Of course I can." Maria said, although she didn't think she sounded very convincing. "You don't think that I can?"

"I know you can. You wouldn't have brought it up otherwise, right?"

Maria hesitated before finally answering. "...Yes. That's right."

The atmosphere in the room seemed to change from that of two people in a romantic relationship to what felt like a "Captain" and "Lieutenant" discussing strategy in a war room. Maria noticed the change immediately.

"Alright, then," Steve said. "I'll be spending most of the day moving in all my personal belongings and getting settled in. If you need me you know where to find me. I'll see you later, Maria."

"Okay...I will see you later." Maria replied.

Steve smiled and gave a slight nod of the head in acknowledgement to Maria before finally leaving the office. Maria watched him the whole way. Once he was gone she instantly began to have second thoughts about the arrangement they just made. Maria looked at the clock on the wall and sighed in resignation. It read 9:06 AM.

Maria sat at her desk and got to work. It consisted of very routine tasks. She took a few phone calls, reviewed security protocols, and tended to mindless paperwork. The day felt like it was dragging on very slowly.

As the morning wore on Maria found herself constantly stopping to stare at the vase of pink roses on her desk. At first glance, for a very brief moment, they bring a little comfort to her dull day because they remind her of Steve. Once that wears off she is then reminded of the kiss that she interrupted and how much she wanted it. The pattern of stopping to admire her roses continued throughout the morning. Eventually, Maria found it so distracting that she took the flowers off her desk and placed them on the floor where they were no longer in direct sight.

At that point Maria looked at the clock to see that she had only managed to kill just over 2 hours of work. Needing a break from her seemingly endless morning Maria decides to go for a walk to clear her head and heads for Pepper's office. Maria heads down the hallway to the reception desk and sees Bridget just exiting Pepper's office. Bridget flashes a smile once she sees Maria approaching.

"Hi, Maria." Bridget says. "So, what did you think of your little 'surprise' this morning?"

"It was very nice." Maria replies. "Thank you for letting Steve do that."

"It was my pleasure. How was I supposed to say no to _him_ when shows up at my desk with a dozen roses?" said Bridget with a grin.

"So...will Steve be dropping by again sometime today?" Bridget asked with an inquisitive smile.

"I don't know, maybe." Maria replied. "He'll be busy most of the day moving his things."

"He's moving?"

"Yeah, he's moving into the Avengers living quarters in the building."

Bridget's expression on her face suddenly changed to a blank stare. "He's moving here...into the building? He lives here now?"

"Yes, that's right. He's moving his things right now."

"...And what floor will he be moving to?" asked Bridget with a curious smirk on her face.

"Actually, you don't have access to that floor." Maria said. She seemed to take great satisfaction in breaking this news to Bridget. "Avengers and authorized personnel only."

"Dammit," Bridget said under her breath.

"Is Pepper free right now?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, you can go right in." Bridget answered with a deflated tone.

Maria walked up to Peppers partially open office door and knocked a few times on the exposed door frame. Pepper was sitting at her desk studying some paperwork and looked up to see Maria in the doorway. Pepper smiles and waves her in. She takes a seat in front of Pepper's desk.

"Bridget told me about this morning. He surprised you with flowers. That's so nice." Pepper said.

"I know. He said it was for our one-week anniversary." Maria replied with a smile.

"One week? It doesn't even seem that long ago that I had to talk you into going out with him." Pepper said with a grin. "I've been busy all week so we really haven't had time to catch up. So...how are things going between you two?"

"Things are going really well." Maria answered with a distracted look on her face. Pepper notices this immediately.

"Is something wrong?" Pepper asked.

"No, everything _is_ great. I'm just still thinking about this morning."

"What? Being surprised by your superhero boyfriend with flowers on your one-week anniversary isn't good enough for you?" Pepper asked sarcastically.

"No it's not that. That was very sweet." Maria said. "You know that Steve is moving into the Avengers facilities in the building right?"

"Yes, I heard. Now you can see each other a lot more often." Pepper said.

"I know. This morning we talked and I thought it would be a good idea to lay some ground rules for when I'm at work. We're keeping things strictly professional while we're in the building during office hours." Maria explained.

"Wow," Pepper responded with an impressed look on her face. "I commend you for trying to keep things so professional at the work place."

"Thank you," Maria replied.

"I take it that Steve was okay with this?"

"Yeah...he was." Maria said rather halfheartedly.

Pepper noticed Maria's tepid response and shot her a curious look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Maria answered. "It's just that he was so quick to jump on board with the idea. I guess I was just expecting a _little_ resistance from him."

"Well, he is Captain America. Isn't he all about taking and or giving orders like a good soldier?"

"Yeah, you're right."

"Also, you're the one who brought it up. So if you think it's a good idea why wouldn't he?"

"Yeah, that makes sense." Maria admits. "I just keep thinking about how the conversation even came up this morning."

"What do you mean?" Pepper asked.

"Steve gave me the flowers, and we hadn't seen each other in a few days, and he was about to kiss me, and that's when-"

"That's when you brought it up?" Pepper asked with a confused look on her face.

Maria responded with an unenthusiastic nod of the head. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it all morning."

"Wow, you have terrible, terrible timing." Pepper said with a smirk. "He surprised you and gave you flowers for your one-week anniversary. I think you're allowed to have one kiss at the office."

"I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the day." Maria sighed.

"Well, it's almost noon right now. You just have five more hours to go." Pepper said.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed with your restraint." Pepper continued. "Most women would blatantly ignore all of your self-imposed rules if they were in your position."

Maria just looked at Pepper with a furrowed brow and slight tilt of the head. Pepper just returned Maria's look with a smile.

"How many times have you two gone out now?" Pepper asked.

"Well, we had our first date last Friday, we met for lunch and took a walk in Central Park on Sunday, and we had our last date Tuesday night."

"What did you guys do on Tuesday night?"

"We went to a shooting range and then had some Chinese take-out back at my place and watched a movie."

"He took you to a shooting range for your date?" Pepper asked with a curious look.

"Actually, it was my idea." Maria answered. "I haven't had any target practice in awhile, plus I thought it could be something fun we can do together."

Pepper looked at Maria with a sarcastic grin. "For some reason I'm not surprised by any of that."

"Well, it was fun." Maria insisted. "We even had a little competition. The winner got to pick dinner and the movie we were going to watch. And I won."

"You beat Steve in a shooting contest?"

"Yes, I did. Does that surprise you?" Maria asked.

"Well, he is a super soldier." Pepper countered.

"I have always been a very good shot. And, if you must know, it was really close but in the end I won on the last...shot..." Maria trailed off at the end of her sentence. She tilted her head slightly like she was lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Pepper asked.

"You don't think I should have beaten him, do you?"

"No, I didn't say that."

"Then why did you seem so surprised when I said I won?"

"Because he's Captain America." said Pepper with a smirk.

Maria thought to herself for a moment before speaking. "Do you think he let me win?"

"No, I didn't say that either." Pepper replied.

Maria continued to think to herself. "...I think he let me win..." Maria said to herself.

"You don't know that." Pepper said. "He doesn't even carry a gun when he's Captain America. I don't even remember ever seeing him use a gun. Maybe he's a little...rusty?"

Maria continued to ponder the idea. "He was matching me target for target, shot for shot...I think he _did_ let me win."

"Should I be flattered or insulted?" Maria asked.

"You know what?" Pepper said feigning innocence by putting her hands in the air. "I'm sorry I even brought the whole thing up. I didn't realize you were so competitive."

"I guess there was nothing in the S.H.I.E.L.D training manual on dating super soldiers, huh?" Pepper asked.

Maria crossed her arms and sat back in her chair. She continued to think to herself.

"Do you think I'm the jealous type?" Maria asked apropos to nothing.

"What...? I don't know. I've never thought about it." Pepper responded with a surprised look.

"Why do you ask? Is some floozy putting the moves on your man?" Pepper added sarcastically.

"No, I was just thinking about something Steve said this morning. He didn't really notice that Bridget had a crush on him until I told him. Plus it helped that she was very 'touchy-feely' with him today."

"Yeah, now that Steve has been around here much more Bridget has suddenly considered herself a 'hugger'." Pepper noted.

"You know what?" Maria continued. "I think I know why he never notices when women like him."

"Great, this should be interesting." Pepper said sarcastically. She proceeded to plant her elbow onto her desk and rested her chin in her palm intently waiting for Maria's explanation.

"I bet that up to half of all the women Steve meet like him or have a crush on him. So when he sees women act that way towards him, he just thinks it's normal." Maria explained.

"...And this makes you jealous?" Pepper asked.

"I don't know...should it?"

"Now you're just being paranoid." Pepper said bitingly. "Personally, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Pepper answered. "Steve is a boyscout in a man's body. A muscular, toned, super soldier body."

Pepper's head was tilted slightly and her eyes were pointing upward like she was trying to picture the description she was making in her mind. She eventually regained focus and looked back at Maria.

"Captain America has a lot of great qualities. And one of them is loyalty. I am positive that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to him." Pepper added. "Now other women are a whole other matter. In the event that you do find a woman being a little too forward with Steve, I'd have my money on you over some groupie in a street fight any day."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me." Maria replied sarcastically.

"You were a well trained, high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I'd be crazy not to bet on you."

At that moment Maria's phone begins to ring. She looks at her phone and views an incoming message on the screen and then shoots a look at Pepper. Maria's expression changed from that of a confidant having a casual conversation to serious consternation.

"I have to go. Duty calls." Maria says.

Pepper nods understandingly. "Okay. If you need anything let me know."

Maria gets up out of her chair and proceeds out the door and briskly walks down the hallway towards her office. As she walks she makes a phone call.

"Steve, it's me. Meet me in the control room and suit up. We've got a situation." Maria says.

Minutes later Steve joins Maria in the control room of the Avengers wing. The room consists of several computers, large monitors, and other forms of high-tech Stark technology. Steve is dressed in his Captain America uniform with his mask off. His trademark shield is on his back. Maria is standing at the main computer console bringing up some images on the screen overhead. When she sees Steve in his Captain America uniform she realizes that it's the first time he's worn it in weeks. Looking at him she can't help but feel a little nostalgic.

"What's the situation?" Steve asks.

"There's currently a standoff going on in Manhattan. Local PD and SWAT are all there. They requested our help resolving the matter." Maria answers.

She brings up a map on the screen showing where the standoff is happening along with video footage from the local news.

"Notice anything strange?" Maria asks.

Steve watches the video closely. He can see police setting up barricades and officers pointing their guns all in the same direction. Suddenly gunfire is shot in the direction of the police, only it is not typical gunfire. It looks like a streak of light blue light, like a laser beam. The beam hits a building causing a tremendous amount of destruction. The camera pans towards the source of the blast and zooms in to show a masked man dressed in an all black military-like uniform. He's holding a weapon that is nothing like what the local police is holding. Steve recognizes the weapon immediately.

"That looks like a Hydra weapon." Steve says as he continues studying the video recording on the screen.

"Yes, that's what we figured." Maria confirmed. "From what the police were able to piece together, it looks like the Hydra agents (if they are Hydra agents) entered the construction site looking for a stash of weapons that were hidden there previously. They were discovered by security guards and police were called in. Police have surrounded the construction site. It's a large area to cover. Because of the firepower they're holding, local PD can't get any closer. The construction site is providing enough cover so snipers can't get a clear shot either. Efforts to communicate with them have not been successful. All they said was that they have no intention of going quietly."

"How many hostiles are on site?" Steve asked.

"Not sure. They're estimating anywhere from 15 to 20. We have to assume they're all armed and dangerous." Maria said.

"What are they waiting for? If they don't have any demands why don't they just shoot their way out? They have the firepower."

"Not sure," Maria answers. "We're sending you in before the situation escalates any further."

"Do we have a point of entry in mind?"

"That's a little tricky." Maria said. "Other than the direct route of just forcing your way in from one of the four entry points, I don't see many other options."

"I can drop in from above." Steve offers.

"We don't have time to get a plane ready for you. Plus it's a pretty small target for a parachute drop." Maria counters.

"I won't need a parachute. What's the tallest building next to the site?"

Maria quickly typed on the computer looking for the information they need.

"There's a building across the street on the west side that's has over 20 floors."

"I'll use that."

Maria shot him a curious look. "Are you sure?"

"I'll jump from the top of that building across the street and get behind their perimeter. Once I'm in I'll get to work neutralizing all the hostiles as quickly as possible. I'll work my way to the center of the site, and then I'll sweep the perimeter in a clockwise direction."

"Sounds like a plan." Maria confirms. "I'm in contact with the sergeant in charge on the field. I'll let him know what's going on and I'll be coordinating with him the whole time. There's also a local PD car waiting downstairs to take you to the scene. The construction site isn't far from here so you'll be there in minutes."

Maria likes the rhythm that she and Steve have fallen into as they discuss strategy and tactics. It feels like old times to her. They're both in their element. She begins to remember how much she misses this.

"Remember, you will have no backup on this." Maria advises. "Stark is on a business trip on the west coast, Dr. Banner is out of town, Barton is out of the country, Romanov is off the grid, and who knows where Thor is."

"That's okay." Steve says confidently as he places his wireless communicator into his ear. "I'll have you in my ear the whole time."

"I'll be bringing up satellite images and try to provide any intel that I can. I'll be watching and listening closely." Maria adds.

Steve tests his communicator and Maria confirms she hears him loud and clear on her end. Steve finally pulls on his mask completing his uniform. Maria takes one last look at him before he leaves.

"Be careful out there, Steve." she says.

"I'll see you soon, Maria." he replies.

Steve heads for the door and gives Maria one last glance before leaving. Once Steve is gone Maria takes a seat at the computer and prepares for what's coming.

In minutes Steve is taken to the scene of the standoff. He's hurriedly escorted to the building he predetermined he would use as his jumping off point and heads to the roof. The early-afternoon sky is dark and cloudy. It feels like rain can start to fall at any minute. He takes a quick look from the edge of the rooftop to the ground blow where he intends to land. He then proceeds to walk all the way to the opposite end of the roof.

"What's your status, Steve?" Maria asks over her wireless communicator.

Captain America begins running at full speed across the rooftop. "Engaging." he responds.

He jumps off the rooftop and across the street into the construction site. He flies through the air like a streak of red, white, and blue. As he hits the ground he manages to do a barrel roll to absorb the impact and emerges back on his feet in one motion.

Captain America is well within the perimeter of the construction site. The four entry points of the site are barricaded and well covered by three to four Hydra agents who continue to hold their positions. Steve has gone undetected at this point and makes his way towards the central point of the site to pursue the remaining Hydra agents.

Meanwhile, Maria is using Stark satellites to see real-time video footage of the scene as it unfolds. She finally is able to obtain some useful footage allowing her to see Steve in the field. She adjusts the camera placement and zooms in slightly to watch Captain America in action. She sees him remove his shield from his back and throw it towards a group of three assailants. The shield hits his first target, ricochets off another, and flies right back to Steve, who catches it all in one motion. Both targets immediately fall to the ground on impact. Before the third Hydra agent could react Steve kicks him directly in the chest sending him flying several feet away into a wall. All three targets are now unconscious.

"I can never get tired of seeing that." Maria said to herself.

Steve continued to make his way through the area and eliminate every adversary he came across. His movements are very quick and efficient. He leaves a trail of unconscious opponents in his wake. So far it's seven total by Maria's count.

Maria pans the camera away from Steve and zooms out slightly to get a better look at his surroundings. She notices two Hydra agents discovering the first group of bodies Steve took care of when he got there. She sees them talking frantically into their radios.

"You've been made, Steve." Maria says into her communicator. "They'll be looking for you now."

"Any idea how many?" Steve asks.

Maria moved the camera to get a better look but some angles were obstructed by scaffolding and steel girders.

"Hard to say, I can see five more not including the guards securing the perimeter. Those guys are staying put at the moment." Maria explains. "I recommend doubling back to where you started to take out the two hostiles behind you so you're not surrounded."

"Roger that." Steve responds.

Steve heads back the way came. He picks up his pace and starts to run. Maria watches him on the monitor. He looks like he's in a full out sprint but that's actually the speed he maintains when he's going out for his morning run. There's really no need for the element of surprise anymore, so Steve confronts the two aggressors head on. With a flurry of kicks, punches, and a well aimed blow to the head with his shield, he makes quick work of both of them.

Maria pans the camera back towards the center of the site where Steve was originally headed. It's partially obstructed from her view by construction vehicles and building materials. Maria continues scanning for more potential threats and sees three more Hydra agents flanking another person. The Hydra agents all look rather generic, wearing all black military fatigues and masks. This makes the person they're walking with stand out even more. Maria zooms in on the satellite image to reveal that it's a woman.

"You have three more Hydra agents heading your way...and they're with a woman." Maria says into her communicator.

"Is she a hostage?" Steve asks.

"No, she's definitely not a hostage." Maria answers. "I'm running her through facial recognition right now."

Maria is able to capture a clear shot of the woman's face and runs it through the computer. As she waits for the results she continues to study the woman on the monitor in front of her. The woman is doling out orders, so she's obviously the leader. She's tall with long flowing black hair and fair skin. She's wearing a dark-green skin tight outfit, much like the trademark outfit Agent Romanov wears, except her shoulders and arms are bare. Her arms are covered in long matching green gloves that run to just above her elbows. She has two loose fitting belts with holsters on each hip. The form fitting outfit seems to accentuate every curve of her statuesque body, leaving little to the imagination. The slightly raised heels on her boots only emphasize her height.

_Why are the female bad guys always so attractive?_, Maria thought to herself.

In a few short moments Maria receives the result of the analysis and relays it back to Steve.

"Whoa..." Maria says as she reads the results on the monitor in front of her. "Her name is 'Viper', also known as 'Madame Hydra', so I guess we can confirm that this is Hydra we're dealing with. She's a high ranking Hydra agent and those who have seen her in the field rarely live to tell about it. Consider her extremely dangerous."

"Copy that." Steve replies. The news doesn't seem to faze him. He's focused on the task at hand.

Maria zoomed out from her current view and panned the camera back towards Steve to see his position. She then panned the camera back to where Viper and the Hydra agents were. The three Hydra agents were getting behind cover, crouching behind various equipment and machinery on the construction site. It appeared that they were preparing for the arrival of Captain America. Maria continued to study the scene and noticed that Viper was gone. Before Maria can say anything Steve is quickly under siege from a barrage of gunfire. Blue laser beams fired by Hydra weapons fly through the air. Steve is able to dodge or block them all with his shield but he is left out in the open, too far off from reliable cover. From behind the cover of his shield, Steve hears the dull thud of what sounds like metal bouncing off the ground. This sound is immediately followed by another, than another. At this point he realizes the random chaotic gunfire sent his way was meant as a distraction. He looks down at the ground in front of him to see three live grenades several feet in front of him. Left with little time to react, Steve jumps as far and high as he can away from the grenades and tucks himself into a ball with his shield in front of him to absorb the blast. The grenades all detonate at the same time combining to make one large blast. The force from the explosion sends Steve flying through the air. He smashes through some scaffolding, bounces off a large steel girder, and finally crashes into a cement wall. Large visible cracks mark the point of his impact. Steve is lying on his stomach facing the ground struggling to get to his feet.

"Steve!? Are you okay?" Maria shouts into her communicator.

He doesn't answer. His ears are still ringing from the explosion. His vision is slightly blurred as well. He rests the edge of his shield onto the ground and uses it to help get to his feet. As he struggles to stand he suddenly feels a hand on his chest forcefully shove him into the wall behind him. He feels his back wedge into the large dent that he created when he originally hit the wall. His legs aren't even fully straightened. They're bent at a forty-five degree angle at the knee, almost like he's sitting rather than standing. Still woozy from the blast, Steve looks at the green-gloved hand on his chest. His eyes continue up the persons arm to their face. He sees Viper looking at him with a mischievous grin.

Viper leaves her hand on his chest, as if she's the only thing holding him upright. She slowly moves her hand from his chest and runs it up his neck to the side of his face, where she gently rests it on his cheek. Standing slightly off center to where he is standing, she brings herself even closer to him, pressing her voluptuous body against his. She wraps her left leg around his right leg, causing her to basically straddle his thigh. She continues to study him admiringly. She's so close to him that their faces are almost touching. This allows Maria to hear everything that she is saying to him.

"Well, well, well, Captain America." she says to him in a breathy, almost sensual tone. "We meet at last."

Maria is watching the whole scene as it unfolds on the monitor in front of her. She doesn't like where any of this is going.

"Steve?" Maria says with a hint of concern in her voice. "I know you're banged up, but whatever you're going to do, you need to do it now."

Steve is still unresponsive. He continues to lean against the wall with Viper pressed against him as he tries to recover. She continues to caress his cheek with her hand then suddenly she turns his head forcefully in one quick, violent motion so that he is now facing her directly.

"You've been a thorn in Hydra's side for too long, Captain." Viper continues with a look of disdain. "You may think you've destroyed Hydra, but some of us still remain. We're gathering our resources and soon we will return to our former glory. Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

Maria continued to watch and listen from the control room back at the tower. For the first time throughout the whole mission, she was starting to worry.

Viper's expression and voice softened to one of sensual admiration. "Ever since I first saw you, I've been _dying_ to meet you."

Viper brought her lips closer to his ear and whispered to him. "My men and I are leaving with the weapons we came here for, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"What is going on?" Maria said to herself.

Maria proceeded to zoom out of her camera view to see a larger area of the construction site. She saw most of the Hydra agents guarding the entrances along the perimeter were all slowly falling back and leaving their posts. She then brought the camera back to Steve and Viper and continued to watch and listen.

"Unfortunately, I can't stay. I really wanted us to get to know each other a little better." Viper says to him.

"I guess this will have to be goodbye, Captain." she continues in a tone of mock sadness. "Since I don't know when we will see each other again, let's make this a good one."

With a flirtatious smile on her face Viper proceeds to give Captain America a deep passionate kiss. Maria watches from her satellite feed and immediately stands up in her chair and leans in towards the monitor. In a fuming rage, both her hands slammed on the console in front of her as she got to her feet. As she continued to watch the monitor she noticed Viper raise her right hand. She was holding something. Maria zoomed in for a closer look. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was.

"Steve! She's holding a detonator! She has a bomb!" Maria shouted in her communicator.

By then it was too late. Viper pressed the proverbial button. A series of explosions erupt, one after the other. They're all along the perimeter, nearby all the entrances to the site. Giant clouds of smoke and dust fill the air obstructing Maria's satellite footage view.

Back on the ground, Steve is finally able to gather himself. Viper is still forcefully kissing him. In one strong motion he puts his hand on her shoulder and pushes her off of him, sending her flying to the ground, sliding several feet. He catches his breath and slowly gets back to his feet.

"Steve, are you okay?" Maria says in her communicator. A hint of anger and frustration can be heard in her voice. "I can't see anything from the satellite footage. There's too much smoke. I'm blind here. I'm sending in backup."

Steve is still groggy from the grenade blasts he endured earlier. "I thought you said I don't have any backup?" Steve finally answers.

Maria forcefully pushes her chair to the side and continues to march her way out the door of the control room. "You do now." she replies angrily in her communicator.

Viper looks at Steve from where she is laying on the ground. "What's the matter, Captain?" she asks with a mischievous grin. "Was that a little too forward for you?"

Steve turns and faces Viper. "I'm already spoken for, ma'am." he replies with a serious tone.

Steve begins to march towards her but is quickly faced with gunfire from approaching Hydra agents. Viper barks out orders to the three of them.

"Keep him busy." she says pointing in Captain America's direction.

The three Hydra agents begin to fire their weapons at Captain America. He blocks the incoming fire with his shield and falls back to take cover behind a large stack of cinder blocks and other building materials. As they continue to fire their weapons at him, Steve looks to see Viper and what's left of her team walking away into the dust and smoke clouds still in the air. Viper looks towards Steve and blows a kiss goodbye to him with a devilish grin before slowly disappearing into the smoggy haze.

The Hydra agents momentarily take their focus from Captain America to fire their weapons at a large partially finished structure comprised of steel girders. The structure collapses spilling out to the street where the police had set up a perimeter. Rubble and debris had spilled onto the street. Captain America looked off into the distance to see Viper flanked by the heavily armed Hydra agents as they make their escape. He looks back at the destruction on the street and sees police officers scrambling. Some are hurt and on the ground. There may even be some buried under the rubble. Steve ultimately makes the decision to fall back and get to the street to help those in need.

He rushes back to the street and sees commotion. People are scrambling in all directions trying to get to safety. Steve sees a police officer on the ground with an injured leg lying next to the pile of rubble. Steve helps him up but then is suddenly inundated by Hydra gunfire. Steve looks to see a Hydra agent in pursuit and throws his shield at him. His shield hits his target directly in the chest and ricochets back to Steve who catches it cleanly. Before Steve can catch his breath, two more Hydra agents emerge from the construction site. They both raise their weapons and point them towards Steve and the police officer.

"Stay behind me." Steve says to the police officer.

Steve raises his shield and prepares for the barrage that is coming. He positions himself in front of the officer and ducks his head behind his shield. He waits for the Hydra agents to fire their lasers at him but instead hears the sound of gunfire.

_BANG, BANG._

Steve looks up from behind his shield and sees the two Hydra agents lying on the ground and not moving. Steve looks back over his right shoulder and sees Maria, arms extended with her gun in hand. She continues walking towards Steve and the police officer he's with, still pointing her gun out as she surveys the scene. She has an intense and heated look in her eyes.

"Where is she?" Maria asks angrily.

"Who?" Steve asks.

"Madame Hydra or 'Viper', or whatever her stupid name is!" she snaps.

"She's gone, Maria." Steve calmly says.

"Well, find her so I can pound her face in!"

Steve and the police officer continue to stand next to each other staring at Maria. She's still visibly furious yet focused as she continues to point her gun in the direction of the two Hydra agents she shot and the construction site behind them.

"Do you know her, Captain?" the police officer casually asks.

"Yes, she's with me." Steve replies.

"...Okay," the police officer says still looking at Maria. "I'll leave you two to work out...whatever you need to work out. Don't go too far, the people in charge are going to want to talk to you."

"Of course," Steve says, "Are you okay to walk on your own?"

"I'll be fine." the officer replies. "Thank you for your help, Captain."

"You're welcome, sir."

The officer walks away with a slight limp that seems to improve as he continues moving. He heads towards the emergency vehicles just down the street.

Steve turns his attention back to Maria. She's still intensely pointing her gun looking for her next target. Steve approaches her and places his hand on her arm. He slowly gets her to lower her weapon. His touch seems to calm her down a little.

"Are you okay, Maria?" he asks.

"...I'm not jealous!" she snaps still looking towards the construction site.

"...I didn't say you were." he calmly replies.

"Well, I'm not." she says angrily as she turns to face Steve. "I just get a little...upset...when sociopath Hydra agents in skin-tight outfits press themselves up against you and ram their tongues down your throat while blowing things up."

Maria was breathing a little heavily. Steve waited a moment to let her catch her breath.

"Well, if you saw all of that then I take it you heard everything that was said as well?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I did." Maria said.

"Then you heard me say I was already spoken for."

Maria started to calm down. Her heavy breathing and rushing adrenaline began to subside.

"Yes...I heard that too." Maria admitted.

Hearing Steve say those words in front of her helped to clear her head. She proceeded to put her gun away into the holster she had on her back underneath her jacket.

"Thanks for coming and backing me up." Steve says appreciatively. "And nice shooting on those two Hydra agents."

Maria was about to say thanks but stopped and thought to her conversation with Pepper earlier in the day. "Did you let me win the other night?"

"Did I let you win?"

"Tuesday...at the shooting range. Did you let me win?"

"...No, I didn't." he answered.

Maria continued to look at him. She noticed the corner of his mouth curve upwards ever so slightly. Realizing what this means, Maria surprises herself. It turns out this doesn't seem to bother her so much.

"Now I know why you always tell the truth." Maria says. Her expression begins to soften slightly, allowing herself to show a subtle grin. "You're a terrible liar."

Steve continued to look at Maria with a smirk.

"We're having a rematch." Maria demands.

"Okay, fine." Steve says. "How did you get here so fast anyway?"

"Oh, I borrowed your motorcycle." Maria said. She reached into her pocket and tossed Steve the keys. "I parked it a few blocks back that way. I think I broke every major traffic law trying to get here."

"I'm glad you came." Steve says with a smile.

The smoke and dust in the air finally seem to clear only to be interrupted by rain drops falling from the dark clouds that had been covering the sky all day. The rain starts out slowly then quickly turns to a steady downpour. With no shelter nearby, Steve walks towards Maria and gently wraps his arm around her lower back and brings her close to him, pressing her body against his. With his other arm he raises his shield above their heads, using it like an umbrella. The steady stream of rain drops hit his shield and run off the edge pouring to the ground in a cascade of water. Their eyes meet and Steve proceeds to slowly lower his lips towards hers.

"Wait, what about our rule?" Maria asks.

"Well, if I remember correctly, the rule applies during work hours while at the office. We're not at the office right now." Steve explained.

Maria thinks it over for a few seconds and grins. "...Okay, I'll allow it this time."

The rain continued to pour down from the sky. They both slowly move in closer to each other, once again trying to share the kiss they've been waiting days for. As they move in closer they are unfortunately interrupted.

"_Ahem,_"

They both stop and turn to see a police officer standing a few feet away from them. He's soaking wet despite wearing a raincoat over his police uniform.

"Sorry to interrupt. I'm the sergeant in charge of the scene. My name is Bratton."

He takes a few steps closer to them. "I know who you are," he says pointing to Captain America. "But I don't think we've been introduced." he says pointing to Maria.

"Maria Hill, Avengers liaison." she says, introducing herself.

"Ah, nice to finally meet you, Ms. Hill. One of my officers tells me that you shot two Hydra agents. We need you to make an official statement, on top of all the other paperwork that I'll be buried under because of this mess. You mind coming with me?"

Maria agrees and follows Sergeant Bratton as he walks back towards the bevy of police cruisers and emergency vehicles just down the street. Steve walks with her, still holding the shield above their heads protecting them from the rain.

Maria and Steve make their statements. It turns out that the small group of Hydra agents were not trapped at the construction site. They were really just stalling. They retrieved their cache of weapons and waited on site for their getaway vehicles that they would meet in the subway tunnels running underneath the construction site. The explosions they set off were just a distraction to hide the explosion needed to get underground and keep the authorities busy. Every one of them got away except for the ones Steve was able to subdue and the two Maria shot.

Maria finally makes it back to Stark Tower later that afternoon after getting dropped off by a police squad car. She takes the elevator up to her floor and proceeds to make her way to her office. Her hair and shoulders are slightly damp from the ongoing rain outside. She approaches the reception desk and sees Pepper and Bridget.

"Where are you coming from?" Pepper asked.

"I was at a Hydra standoff not too far from here." Maria casually answered as if it were a regular occurrence.

"I was watching the newscast online." said Bridget. "I saw Captain America there. Where is he now? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he was a little banged up but he's fine. He stayed behind to help with the cleanup and rescue."

"What were you doing there?" Pepper asked.

"I was working logistics upstairs but I decided to backup Steve in the field." Maria answered.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Pepper.

"I thought it was." Maria said.

Pepper and Bridget turned towards each other and smiled as they exchanged a knowing glance.

"Was the reason you went down there have to do with the sudden appearance of a tall, dark-haired woman, dressed in green?" Pepper asked.

"How did you-"

"It was on the news. There wasn't much footage but you do catch a quick glimpse of her. They mentioned that she had a 'confrontation' with Captain America." Bridget said. "I thought she looked pretty hot. What happened with her anyway?"

Just the mere mention of _her_ made Maria's blood start to boil.

"She got a little too close to Steve." Maria said with an obvious tone of displeasure. "Then she started blowing things up."

Pepper shot Maria a curious look.

"How _close_ are we talking about here?" Pepper asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Maria answered.

"Did she hurt him?" Bridget asked.

"She threw a couple of grenades at him and sent him flying." Maria crossed her arms and had an irritated look on her face. "After that she had a little..._too_ much one on one time with him if you know what I mean."

"What happened?" Pepper and Bridget asked at the same time.

"She basically threw herself on to him and she...kissed him." Maria said. She cringed as she finished her sentence.

"Sexy Hydra Lady kissed him?" said Bridget.

"So that's why you went down there? I guess you are the jealous type, Maria." Pepper said. "What did Steve do?"

"It's okay, Steve said and did all the right things, under the circumstances."

"Please tell me you shot her." Bridget said with a serious look on her face.

"She was long gone by the time I got there." Maria admitted. "I can't believe she did that. I haven't even kissed Steve today. Why do all the female villains have to be so seductive _and_ insane?"

"Wait...you haven't kissed Steve today?" Bridget asked with a confused look on her face. "He surprised you with flowers this morning."

"Maria decided that she wanted to keep things professional around the office." Pepper explained to Bridget.

Bridget turned towards Maria with her eyes wide in shock. "Are you kidding me? I think you may be more insane than Sexy Hydra Lady."

Maria just looked at Bridget with an annoyed look on her face.

"I did shoot two other Hydra agents, though. Because of that I now have a mountain of paperwork to go through."

Maria sighed at the thought of the work she still had to do. Despite all the excitement, the day was still dragging on slowly for her.

"I have to get back to work. I'll be in my office." Maria said to Pepper and Bridget with a deflated tone.

Maria continued down the hall to her office. She walked in and sat in her chair behind her desk. She looks down and notices the vase of flowers Steve gave her on the floor. She picks the vase up and places it back on her desk. She no longer thinks of them as a distraction. She now looks at it as motivation. Motivation to make it through the rest of the day to see Steve at 5:00 PM.

Maria gets to work. She focuses purely on what's in front of her and blocks out everything else. She does allow herself to look at the vase of pink roses on her desk every once in awhile. Maria starts to feel the afternoon fly by a little quicker than the morning did.

As the afternoon wears on Maria continues to finish up what she is working on when her door suddenly opens. Before she can react she sees Steve. He's still wearing his Captain America uniform without the mask. He briskly walks into her office and approaches the front of her desk.

"Steve, what are you-"

Before Maria can finish her sentence Steve bends forward over the desk and kisses her tenderly on the lips. Once Steve pulls away they both have a look of satisfaction on their faces that they've been waiting for all day.

"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer." he said with a smile.

Maria turned her head to look at the clock on her computer monitor then proceeded to look back at Steve with a grin. The clock read 4:54.

"You couldn't wait six more minutes?" Maria asked.

"I couldn't last the day. I guess you win." Steve replied.

"Are you letting me win...again?" she asked.

"In this case, I'd like to think that we're both winners."

"You always have to be so punctual, don't you?" she says with a smile.

Steve continues to look at Maria with a longing stare and a shy smirk.

"I know it's not five o'clock yet, but do you think you can get off work a little early today?" Steve asks.

"Well, my boss isn't here and it is Friday. Why? What did you have in mind?"

"I've finished moving in to the Avengers living quarters upstairs. I thought maybe you would like to come up and see my new place."

"You want to show me your new place?" Maria asks sarcastically with a grin. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

"No, not all the girls." Steve says. "Just the ones I care about."

Maria agrees to call it a day and leaves her office with Steve. They walk down the hall side by side as they head for the elevators. Everyone walking within looking distance seems to shoot Steve a quick glance. Since he's still wearing his Captain America uniform he stands out among the crowd.

They pass by the reception desk where they see Bridget and Pepper who watch them as they head for the elevators. They both smile at the site of Maria and Steve happily walking together. As they approach the elevators Steve and Maria hold hands with their fingers interlocking. They enter the first set of doors that open. As they stand inside the elevator they continue looking at each other. After nearly three long days, they finally got to share the kiss they've both been waiting for. Once the doors finally close they decide to make up for lost time and kiss once more.

"We should end every work day like this." Maria says.


End file.
